North Miami is adding a race to Thanksgiving morning. The city's first Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K starts at 7 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26, at MOCA Plaza, 770 NE 125th St., and it is timed so runners can finish, cool down and still be on NE 125th Street for the 51st annual WinterNational Thanksgiving Day Parade, which steps off three hours later. The city's own pitch for the morning is simple: get the run in, watch the parade, then go home and eat.

Both events fall in North Miami's centennial year, which the city is marking under the banner We Are 100, and the city lists the parade as part of that celebration.

The Turkey Trot

The 5K is run by the city's Parks and Recreation Department. Registration is $30 in advance and $35 on race day, through RunSignup, and stays open until 6:50 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning. Every registered runner gets a T-shirt and a medal. Parking is in Municipal Lots 1, 2 and 3.

The WinterNational Parade

The parade runs from 10 a.m. to noon along NE 125th Street, from NE 6th Avenue to NE 12th Avenue, with the main stage at North Miami City Hall, 776 NE 125th St., where seating is limited. The city bills it as South Florida's Thanksgiving Day celebration. Last year's parade was the 50th, the Golden Jubilee, and the city has posted a photo gallery from it.

The lineup draws marching bands from middle schools, high schools and colleges across South Florida, along with community bands, dance and cheer squads, flag corps, color guards, and drill and step teams. Groups had until Oct. 30 to sign up.

Plan the morning

  • 7 a.m.: Turkey Trot 5K starts at MOCA Plaza, 770 NE 125th St. $30 in advance, $35 on the day; register at RunSignup by 6:50 a.m.
  • 10 a.m. to noon: 51st WinterNational Thanksgiving Day Parade on NE 125th Street, NE 6th to NE 12th avenues. Main stage at City Hall, 776 NE 125th St.
  • Parking: Municipal Lots 1, 2 and 3.
  • Questions: North Miami Parks and Recreation, 305-895-9840.

For the rest of the season, the city's calendar also lists a Veterans Day breakfast on Nov. 11 and the Get in Gear community bike ride on Nov. 14, and the city is selling a centennial coin at the City Hall cashier's window, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., while supplies last.

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