Thanksgiving day is a day all about giving thanks, spending time with family, and of course, eating countless plates of food. But what does one do in the weeks before Thanksgiving? As the weeks grow colder and the days get shorter, here are some fun things to do around the Thanksgiving season.

➊ Turkey Bowl

A Turkey Bowl is a common name for football games held either on Thanksgiving or over that weekend. It is a super fun thing to do with your friends to bond and celebrate the holiday together, and to get some cardio in before your Thanksgiving feast!

➋ Volunteer

While Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for all that you have, it’s important to help out others during this time as well. Whether it’s volunteering at a soup kitchen or an animal shelter, this season is a great time to give back to the community. For a full list of volunteer opportunities in Lake Forest, click here.

➌ Run a Turkey Trot

A Turkey Trot is a fun race held each year for participants looking to get a workout in before their Thanksgiving meals or just to spend quality time with family and friends. Personally, I’ve done a Turkey Trot with my dad in the past and it was a ton of fun! There is a North Shore Turkey Trot in Highland Park and plenty of other Turkey Trots shared here.

➍ Friendsgiving

Friendsgiving is a Thanksgiving dinner held by and for someone’s friends. It is a super fun way to bond with friends over a meal and an excuse for not one, but two Thanksgiving meals this season! If each friend brings a dish that they make, it is pretty affordable as well. Here is a list of 27 easy dishes to make for your next Friendsgiving.

➎ Watch/Go to the Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is on Thanksgiving (Nov. 22) from 8 a.m.-11a.m. in the Upper West Side in New York City. It features the nation’s best marching bands, giant inflatable balloons, spectacular performance acts and much more. It is a super fun event to watch live in NYC, but an equally fun event to watch on the TV with your family!

➏ Go Black Friday shopping

Black Friday takes place the day after Thanksgiving, which is the first day of the Christmas shopping season. Shops offer special sales from midnight on Thanksgiving through the 23rd! Black Friday is a thing to take part in with your friends and family and can save you a ton of money, too. I hope this list gave you some fun things to do this Thanksgiving season!