Thanksgiving Holiday Roundup

The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·4 min read

Nov. 22—Some facts, schedules and other information you might want to know for the 2022 Thanksgiving holiday:

Weather forecast

Expect a mixed bag of weather for the four-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Thanksgiving Day will feature a chance of rain and snow showers and a high of 37. Friday will bring a mix of clouds and sun and a high of 35. Saturday and Sunday will feature partly cloudy skies and highs near 40.

Holiday dinners

Some places are offering a free Thanksgiving dinner if you want some companionship Thursday:

—Hope Gospel Mission is holding its annual Thanksgiving Day Community Dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The dinner will be at Hope Gospel Mission's Renewal Center for Men, 2650 Mercantile Drive, which is across from Festival Foods on Eau Claire's west side. A sit-down dinner will be offered in the dining room. Meals will also be offered with drive-through or take-out service. For more information, visit hopegospelmission.org or call 715-492-3867.

—The Community Table, 320 Putnam St., will serve a free Thanksgiving lunch with all the fixings from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the facility's Dining Hall. For more information, call 715-835-4977.

Turkey talk

If you need some advice about cooking your turkey, call the toll-free U.S. Department of Agriculture's Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854. The line is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. It will also be open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Send email questions to MPHotline@usda.gov.

Or you can call the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line at 800-288-8372. Help can also be reached by text messages at 844-877-3456. Hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and Wednesday, and 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. For the 41st year, home economists and dietitians dish out turkey preparation tips to thousands of callers each holiday season every day through Dec. 24. Butterball also provides answers to the most-asked questions about cooking turkeys at butterball.com.

Travel

Thanksgiving travelers will spend more for gasoline than they did last year.

The statewide average is $3.39 per gallon for regular unleaded, the American Automobile Association in Wisconsin said. That is 31 cents per gallon less than last month but 26 cents more per gallon than Thanksgiving 2021.

AAA estimates that 54.6 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for the Thanksgiving holiday. While overall national and local travel totals are less than 1% short of the pre-pandemic high in 2019, air travel from Wisconsin will exceed pre-pandemic levels and set a new record high this year, AAA says.

AAA forecasts that 48.65 million Americans will drive. That's 203,000 more drivers than last year.

Call 511 to check road conditions in Wisconsin. You can access the report online at 511wi.gov.

Government

Government offices and public libraries in Altoona, Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire and Menomonie are closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Eau Claire City Hall and Eau Claire County Courthouse will also be closed on Friday.

Garbage pickup

No garbage will be picked up in Altoona, Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire and Menomonie on Thursday.

Financial institutions

Financial institutions with personal service will be closed Thanksgiving.

Museum

Chippewa Valley Museum in Carson Park will be closed Thursday. It will be open from noon to 5 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.

Football

Three National Football League games will be played on Thanksgiving Day.

The Buffalo Bills are at the Detroit Lions at 11:30 a.m. on CBS, the New York Giants are at the Dallas Cowboys at 3:30 p.m. on FOX and the New England Patriots are at the Minnesota Vikings at 7:20 p.m. on NBC.

One college football game will be played Thursday on national television. Mississippi State is at Mississippi at 6 p.m. on ESPN.

Turkey Trot

The Festival Foods Turkey Trot will be Thursday at the Eau Claire YMCA, 700 Graham Ave. The event, which begins at 8 a.m., features a 5-mile run, 2-mile fun run, 2-mile walk and a dog jog.

The cost is $40 for adults and $15 for children younger than 18. Shirts and bibs can be picked up at the YMCA from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday and beginning at 6:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

Proceeds benefit the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Chippewa Valley.

For more information visit festivalfoodsturkeytrot.com.