On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26, 2026, Highway 30A in Rosemary Beach closes to all traffic at 7 a.m. The 15th annual 30A 10K starts and finishes at Barrett Square, and the closure runs west past Alys Beach to the 10K turnaround at Bridge Lane, just east of The Big Chill. If you have family coming in, a turkey to sort out, or a table to book, your real deadlines fall days before Thursday.
The race sets the schedule for the whole week. Dinner gets ordered on Sunday and picked up on Wednesday. Thursday morning is for the race, and the holiday on Main Street picks up once the road reopens. If you know that sequence, you won't find yourself trying to drive a casserole through a finish-line crowd.
The Week, Counted Backward From the Gun
The dates below come from the official 30A 10K race site and the restaurants' own Thanksgiving pages. Most of them land before the race does.
- Friday, October 30, 11:59 p.m. CDT. The 10K and 5K are $95 each until then, plus a RunSignup fee. The price goes up after that. If someone in your house has been thinking about running, this post comes out with about a day and a half to spare.
- Sunday, November 22, 3 p.m. Last call for Thanksgiving to-go orders at Edward's Fine Food & Wine in Rosemary Beach, or earlier if it sells out.
- Tuesday, November 24, 5 p.m. Idyll Hounds Brewery and Fleet Feet Inlet Beach host the official shake-out run. That night at 11:59 p.m. CST, registration closes for the 1-mile fun run, which is $45.
- Wednesday, November 25. This is the busiest day of the week. Packet pickup runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at The Big Chill, 7000 E County Hwy 30A in Watersound. Edward's pickup window for to-go orders is 2 to 5 p.m. the same afternoon.
- Thursday, November 26. The 10K starts at 7:30 a.m., the 1-mile at 7:35 a.m., and the 5K at 9:30 a.m.
There's no race-day registration and no race-day packet pickup. The race also offers no refunds. So a runner who misses Wednesday at The Big Chill misses the race, and a household that misses Sunday at Edward's needs a different plan for dinner.
Thursday Morning, When the Road Belongs to Runners
The closure covers more than 30A. For the 5K, Watersound Parkway also closes from its intersection with 30A north to the Camp Creek Inn entrance. Because the 5K doesn't start until 9:30, the road stays closed well into the morning.
The race's own pages give two different reopening times. The Course Maps page says 30A is closed from 7:00 to 10:30 a.m. The FAQ page says 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. For 2025, the county traffic plan reopened the highway at 10:30 outside downtown Rosemary Beach and the downtown stretch at 11. That may explain the gap, but it was last year's plan. For anything that depends on leaving town by car Thursday morning, plan around 11 a.m. and check the course maps page for updates as race day gets closer.
On parking, the race FAQ is direct. Parking is limited, and anyone who parks on the north side of Highway 98 at 30Avenue should walk into Rosemary through the underground walking path. That's the tunnel under 98 that made 30Avenue an easy walk from town. On race morning it's also the safest way for spectators coming from the north side to reach the course.
A few rules matter if you're going to watch with family:
- Dogs are not allowed in any of the races.
- Strollers are allowed only in the 1-mile fun run, and stroller families should start behind all runners and walkers.
- Awards and the post-race party are in North Barrett Square, with a DJ, local vendors, breakfast, and a complimentary mimosa and Bloody Mary bar for adults.
The 10K and 5K courses are USATF certified, and both have age-group awards running from under 10 to 80 and over. Out-of-town guests sometimes picture a turkey trot as a costume jog. This is a real, timed race, and it starts on Barrett Square.
Why the Morning Is Worth Giving Up
The race has grown along with the town. In July 2024, 30A.com reported that the race had given $768,000 to local charities over the previous 12 years. The organizer now puts the cumulative total above $1 million. Taken together, those figures mean the 2024 and 2025 races added at least $230,000.
The 2026 beneficiaries are Children in Crisis, Bailey Brigade, Habitat for Humanity of Walton County, and Children's Volunteer Health Network. The race runs as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and Melanie Cain is race director. The sponsor list includes Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach, Spell Restaurant Group, Idyll Hounds, Visit South Walton, the St. Joe Foundation, and Fleet Feet. In other words, the closure is backed by the towns along the course and by the businesses on it.
Dinner Starts When the Road Reopens
Once you plan around the closure, choosing where to eat gets simpler. Havana Beach Bar & Grill at 63 Main St. in Rosemary Beach opens its buffet seatings at 11 a.m., about when the race FAQ says 30A reopens. Cuvee 30A sits on 30Avenue, north of 98, the same spot the race recommends for parking. It opens at 11 a.m. too.
| Where | Thanksgiving 2026 offer | Hours | Price | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward's Fine Food & Wine, Rosemary Beach | To-go feast | Pickup Wed., Nov. 25, 2–5 p.m. | Turkey breast $25/lb, honey-baked ham $20/lb, pies $50 | Order by Sun., Nov. 22, 3 p.m.; all sales final |
| Havana Beach Bar & Grill, 63 Main St. | Buffet with prime rib carving station | Seatings 11 a.m.–7 p.m. | $85++ adults, $45++ children 12 and under, under 3 free | Reservations required; 22% gratuity added; $50 fee for cancellations inside 72 hours |
| Cuvee 30A, 30Avenue | Thanksgiving dining | 11 a.m.–3 p.m. | $99.99 adults, $49.99 children under 10 | Reservations recommended; no turkey to go |
| Café Thirty-A, Seagrove Beach | Dinner or takeout | Reservations 11:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; pickup 11 a.m.–5 p.m. | $105 per person, $35 children; takeout for six $400 | Reservations required |
| Fish Out of Water, WaterColor | Thanksgiving plates plus à la carte | 11 a.m.–9 p.m. | Not listed | No reservations; first come, first served |
The Edward's order is the one tied most closely to the race week. Its Wednesday pickup falls inside the packet pickup window at The Big Chill. A household with one runner and one cook can handle both errands on the same afternoon and have Thursday morning free for the race. To order, call Edward's at 850-231-0550 or stop by the restaurant.
If you'd rather order a turkey than roast one, Shades Bar & Grill in Inlet Beach is taking house-smoked turkey orders for pickup on November 24 and 25. LaCo in Seacrest Beach lists a Thanksgiving buffet from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at $64.50 for adults and $29.50 for children under 12. If the family stays through the weekend, WaterColor Inn & Resort lists a Thanksgiving buffet on Friday, November 27, at noon, with reservations by email.
The calendar works out this way. Runners have until October 30 to lock in the lower entry price, and Edward's needs to-go orders by November 22. November 25 is the day to pick up both the bib and the turkey. Any Thursday table is easiest at 11 a.m. or later, after the road reopens, which leaves the morning for the walk to Barrett Square.
If you're hosting family who will be renting on 30A for the holiday, or you'd like a local read on how race week affects getting around your part of the corridor, the team at Erich Hardy is glad to help you plan the week. Let's Connect.
