Living in London · Thanksgiving weekend 2026 · Updated September 30, 2026
Living in London’s guide to Thanksgiving weekend, October 9–12, 2026, in London, Ontario. Four days on one page. What to do each day, what is open Monday, and where to eat if you are not cooking.
- Monday, October 12: malls, the library, Covent Garden Market and most grocery stores are closed. Westmount Shopping Centre and the Farm Boy on Wellington Road South are open. Garbage moves to Tuesday.
- The plan: Knights game Friday. Markets and a colour walk Saturday. Turkey buffet Sunday. Fanshawe Pioneer Village on the Monday.
- Not cooking? Brunch Sunday at Delta Armouries or Asher’s. Dinner at Idlewyld. The Keg on the Monday. Or a take-home dinner from Farm Boy or Angelo’s.
Thanksgiving Monday is October 12 this year. At our place it is a Monday thing. My sister’s family and mine all land at my mom’s for the dinner, and the same table covers two birthdays. My son Reed’s is October 19 and my nephew’s is October 21, so the cake comes out with the pie. Every October Londoners ask the same three questions. What is open on the Monday? What do we do with the kids for four days? Where can we eat if nobody wants to cook? Here is the whole weekend on one page. It is part of our Living in London guides. Send it to the group chat.
Jump to: Open and closed Monday · The spots · Before you go · FAQ
- Friday, October 9: London Knights vs Erie Otters, 7 PM. Or Scream at the Hyland, 7 PM. Oktober Fall Fest opens at 100 Kellogg Lane.
- Saturday, October 10: turkey shop at Covent Garden Market or the Western Fair market. Then a walk. Sifton Bog, Kains Woods or Komoka.
- Sunday, October 11: the dinner day. Brunch buffet at Delta Armouries or Asher’s. Dinner at Idlewyld. Pumpkins After Dark after dark.
- Monday, October 12: Fanshawe Pioneer Village, last day of the season. Forgot the cream? Farm Boy on Wellington Road South is open 9 to 6.
Thanksgiving Monday, October 12: what is open and what is closed?
Thanksgiving is a statutory holiday in Ontario. Most of the city closes. Here is what each place says for 2026, as of September 30.
| Place | Monday, October 12 |
|---|---|
| Garbage, recycling and green bin | No pickup Monday. Every zone moves one day later. Monday pickup happened Tuesday, October 13. |
| London Transit buses | Holiday schedule all day. Buses run less often and some routes do not run. Give yourself extra time. |
| London Public Library | All branches closed. |
| CF Masonville Place | Closed. |
| White Oaks Mall | Closed. |
| Westmount Shopping Centre | Open noon to 5 PM. |
| Covent Garden Market | Closed. It closes every Monday. |
| Metro | Closed. Saturday runs regular hours. |
| Farm Boy | Wellington Road South: open 9 AM to 6 PM. Masonville: closed. |
| LCBO and The Beer Store | Closed. Both close on every statutory holiday. Buy Saturday. |
| Superstore, Sobeys, Walmart, Costco | Not posted as of September 30. Plan on closed. This row is updated when they post. |
| Museum London and Eldon House | Closed. Both close every Monday. |
| Storybook Gardens | Closed for the season. Pumpkins After Dark ran on the grounds October 8 to 11 that week, and is dark Monday. |
| Fanshawe Pioneer Village | Open 10 AM to 4 PM. It is the last day of the season. |
| Fanshawe Conservation Area | Open. The season runs to October 18. |
| The Keg, London South | Open 4 PM to 10 PM. |
The Thanksgiving weekend spots in London, closest first
Fall in Love with the Forest City
For one month a year the City opens the observation deck on top of City Hall. You look down on the whole tree canopy as it turns. It is free, it is short, and it is the best view of fall in the city. Kids love the elevator ride as much as the view.
London Knights vs Erie Otters
Friday night of a long weekend and the Knights are home. That is the easiest plan on this page. Canada Life Place is loud, warm and a five-minute walk from every downtown restaurant. If you have never taken the kids to a Knights game, this is the night.
Covent Garden Market
This is where you do the real turkey shop. The butchers, the bakers, the cheese counter and the produce stalls are all under one roof. Go Saturday morning for the best pick. The market is closed on the Monday.
Delta Hotels London Armouries — Thanksgiving buffet brunch
The hotel calls it London’s famous buffet brunch, and on a holiday it earns the name. The hotel is the old London Armouries building, and the room is half the show. Sunday is the day. Nobody cooks, nobody does dishes, and kids 6 and under eat free.
Horror at the Hyland
The Hyland is London’s independent cinema, and every October it turns into a horror house. This is the grown-up Friday night. Scream turns 30 this year and they are showing it on the big screen. The kids get their own show on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Idlewyld Inn & Spa — Thanksgiving dinner buffet
If you want the turkey dinner without the day of cooking, the Idlewyld is the classic answer. It is the grand old house on Grand Avenue. The buffet has turkey, prime rib and salmon, and the pies are the point.
Oktober Fall Fest
Weekend three of four for London’s indoor Oktoberfest. The old Kellogg’s factory turns its Beer Kitchen and courtyard into a German fall party with live music. It is indoors, so the weather does not matter. Bring the relatives who want a beer more than a hike.
The Market at Western Fair District
The Saturday farmers’ market at Western Fair is where the local growers sell what they picked that week. Squash, apples, late corn, honey and pies. It opens at 8. Go early.
Asher’s Lounge and Patio — Thanksgiving brunch buffet
Asher’s is the restaurant inside the Spencer Hotel on Windermere Road, next to Western. It is quieter than the downtown hotels, with easy parking. Their Thanksgiving brunch buffet is the north-end answer for families who do not want to drive downtown.
Springbank Park and the Thames Valley Parkway
Springbank is the walk after the big meal. The paved Thames Valley Parkway runs 45 kilometres through the city, and this is its prettiest stretch. Storybook Gardens inside the park is closed for the season, so the park itself is quieter than in summer.
Sifton Bog
A real peat bog in the middle of the city. A 370-metre boardwalk runs from the parking lot out to Redmond’s Pond. A toddler or a wheelchair can do it. This is a 40-minute stop, not a hike.
Westminster Ponds
Westminster Ponds is one of the biggest natural areas in the city, and many Londoners have never walked it. Eleven kilometres of trails loop around the ponds. Boardwalks cross the wet parts. On a cold, clear October morning the mist sits on the water and the maples go orange.
Westmount Shopping Centre
Westmount is the one mall in London open on Thanksgiving Monday. Masonville and White Oaks are closed. Need a last-minute gift, a phone charger, or somewhere dry to walk the kids? This is it.
Farm Boy, Wellington Road South
Every host forgets one thing. Cream, cranberries, the second bag of potatoes. On Thanksgiving Monday the Farm Boy on Wellington Road South is open 9 to 6. That saves the dinner. Farm Boy also sells a full take-home Thanksgiving dinner if you would rather not cook.
Angelo’s Italian Bakery & Market
Angelo’s has fed north London for decades, and their take-home turkey dinner is a quiet local tradition. A whole roasted turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry, a side and a pumpkin pie. It feeds about ten people. You pick it up, heat it, and take the credit.
The Keg Steakhouse, London South
Not everyone wants turkey. The Keg on Wellington Road has posted its holiday hours. It is one of the few sit-down restaurants open Monday night. It is the safe pick when the family cannot agree.
Boler Mountain Treetop Adventure Park
Boler’s ropes courses and zip lines run on weekends until late October. Thanksgiving Saturday and Sunday are two of the last. You climb through the trees while they are turning. It is the one thing on this page that will tire out a teenager.
Kains Woods
Kains Woods follows the Thames on the far west edge of the city. The 5.8-kilometre trail runs high above the river through mature forest. It is the best free colour walk inside the city limits, and it is rarely crowded.
East Park
East Park is the fallback when the kids need to move and the weather is fine. The golf course stays open on holidays. Mini golf and the driving range are open daily into the evening. The go-karts and batting cages open afternoons on the weekend.
Fanshawe Pioneer Village — Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving Monday is the last day of the season at the Village, and they make a day of it. Harvest food history and demonstrations in the old buildings. It is the one place in London that is open, outdoors and feels like Thanksgiving. The turkey luncheon is a separate, limited ticket, so book early.
Fanshawe Conservation Area
Next door to the Village, the conservation area wraps around Fanshawe Lake. The 21-kilometre Lake Trail is the long walk or bike ride on this list. Do a piece of it. The lake side of the loop is the colour, and the season ends October 18, the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Komoka Provincial Park
Komoka is the fall walk people drive to. Eleven kilometres of trail along the Thames, with the White Trail running under big maple, oak and beech. Ontario Parks had it at 10 percent colour on September 25. With the cold nights forecast for early October, Thanksgiving weekend should be well into it.
Before you go
- The farms: Thanksgiving is the busiest pumpkin weekend of the year. Kustermans in Mount Brydges is open daily 9 to 6. Apple Land in Thorndale is open Monday 9 to 5. Clovermead in Aylmer is open the Monday at $27, and closed Sunday. Every farm, with prices, is in our Fall in London guide.
- After dark: Pumpkins After Dark at Storybook Gardens ran Thursday, October 8 to Sunday, October 11. It is dark on the Monday. The full guide is here.
- Shop Saturday: the LCBO, The Beer Store, both malls and the market are closed Monday. Metro is closed Monday. Buy it Saturday.
- Bins: no pickup Monday. Put them out one day later than usual all week.
- Wear: boots and layers. The trails are muddy after a wet week, and the mornings are near freezing.
- New to London? Thanksgiving here is the second Monday of October. It is a day off work and school. Shops close, families eat mid-afternoon, and the Monday is quiet. If you are a student with nowhere to go, Asher’s brunch takes a table of one.
Common questions about Thanksgiving weekend in London
Is Thanksgiving Monday a statutory holiday in Ontario?
Yes. Thanksgiving is the second Monday of October. In 2026 it is October 12. Most stores, offices and schools are closed.
Is garbage picked up on Thanksgiving Monday in London?
No. The City moves every zone one day later that week. The Monday pickup is on Tuesday, October 13.
Do London Transit buses run on Thanksgiving?
Yes, on a holiday schedule. Routes run less often, and some do not run. Give yourself extra time.
Which grocery stores are open on Thanksgiving Monday in London?
The Farm Boy on Wellington Road South, 9 to 6. Metro and the Masonville Farm Boy are closed. Superstore, Sobeys, Walmart and Costco had not posted their hours as of September 30.
Where can I get Thanksgiving dinner in London if I am not cooking?
Brunch buffets on Sunday at Delta Armouries and Asher’s Lounge. Dinner buffet at the Idlewyld Inn. The Keg on Wellington Road is open Sunday and Monday. Fanshawe Pioneer Village serves a turkey luncheon on the Monday. Take-home dinners come from Farm Boy and Angelo’s.
What can we do with the kids on Thanksgiving Monday?
Fanshawe Pioneer Village is open 10 to 4. Springbank Park, Sifton Bog, Westminster Ponds and Kains Woods are free and open. East Park runs mini golf and the range. Westmount mall is open noon to 5 if it rains.
Is Pumpkins After Dark open on Thanksgiving Monday?
No. It ran Thursday, October 8 to Sunday, October 11, and is dark on the Monday.
Where are the fall colours near London on Thanksgiving weekend?
Inside the city: Kains Woods, Westminster Ponds and Sifton Bog. A short drive: Komoka Provincial Park, which was at 10 percent colour on September 25. The City Hall observation deck shows the whole canopy from above on Saturday and Sunday.
That is the weekend. Ours ends at my mom’s table, cake and all. The honest truth is that the best part is not the dinner. It is the one day a year the whole city slows down at the same time. Pick your walk, book your table, and buy the cream on Saturday.
What is the dish your family fights over? Tell us in the comments. Find a date or a price that has changed? Tell us and we will fix it that day. This guide lives with our other Living in London guides, and we keep it current every year.
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