Packet pickup opens at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28, at Finns Harborside, 38 Water Street. An hour later the 5K starts there and heads uphill. The course covers Main Street, the waterfront and the hill district, which is why the race is called the East Greenwich Hill and Harbour Turkey Trot.
The registration page has a short line that's easy to miss. The race beneficiaries are the East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce and The Greenwich Odeum. Those two groups' names come up again and again on the town calendar over the next eight days. The Chamber hosts a Main Street shopping evening, and the Odeum puts on three shows in a row. The race also gives prizes from local stores, so the morning run is the first stop in a week that keeps returning to the same few blocks.
The Race Pays Out in Main Street Goods
The 5K starts at 8:30 a.m., and the 1-mile fun run follows at 9:30. Signing up online through Race Roster costs $34.38 for the 5K and $18.25 for the mile, with fees included. Race-day registration is $35 and $20. So waiting until the morning of the race costs only 62 cents more for the 5K and $1.75 more for the mile. The real reason to register early is the shirt, since race shirts go to the first 500 people who register for the 5K.
The top male and female finishers each get $100. The top two runners in every age group get gifts from East Greenwich shops. The age groups are:
- Sub Junior, 0 to 12
- Junior, 13 to 19
- Open, 20 to 29
- Sub Master, 30 to 39
- Master, 40 to 49
- Senior, 50 to 59
- Veteran, 60 to 69
- Grand Veteran, 70 and up
- Wheelchair entries
Each runner can win only one prize. Bring a can of food to the start, too. The EG Lions Club will collect canned goods for the East Greenwich Interfaith Food Cupboard on race day, and the organizers ask everyone attending to bring one.
The race is put on by The East Greenwich Turkey Trot Foundation. It's a fully sanctioned, certified 5K, and the course map comes out on race day. This year is the race's 15th.
The Same Saturday Moves to the Shops
When the fun run is over, the day moves up to Main Street. The East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce lists Nov. 28 as Small Business Saturday. So the Chamber benefits from the race in the morning and runs the shopping day that afternoon.
Last year the day worked as a passport program. Shoppers picked up a passport at a participating business, spent at least $10 at five or more of them between noon and 5 p.m., and were entered in a drawing for six prizes worth $1,000 in total. That's according to East Greenwich News. The 2025 list had 22 participants, including Third Rock Emporium, Stencel Jewelers, Bone Appetit Dog Store, Scribe, The Nook, Market On! Main Street, Wag 'n Wicks and Zuzu's.
Sunday and Wednesday, the Calendar Turns to the Neighbors
The day after the race, the holiday calendar is all local. The Children's Victorian Christmas runs from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 29, in the parish house across from the Lutheran Church at 118 Division St. Santa arrives to read a story, there's an afternoon tea with sandwiches and scones, and children make a Christmas craft. A guest from Clouds Hill Farm talks about Victorian etiquette, and a photographer takes pictures with Santa.
It's a fundraiser with limited seats, and you have to reserve ahead at [email protected]. Prices are set up for families:
| Who's attending | Admission |
|---|---|
| One adult and one child | $30 |
| Two adults and two children | $50 |
| Each additional adult | $20 |
| Additional child | $10 |
| Third child | $5 |
| Third adult | $10 |
Scholarships are available. Children 12 and under need to come with an adult, and guests are encouraged to dress up.
On Wednesday, Dec. 2, the Bob Houghtaling Foundation holds a Community Dinner at Swift Community Center from 6 to 8 p.m., with a student art exhibit. You pay what you can, with a suggested donation of $15, and you can sign up through Zeffy. The same foundation co-sponsors the monthly EG Community Walk, which meets in the Swift Community Center parking lot at 10 a.m. on the third Saturday of each month. The next one is Nov. 21, two days after this post goes up.
Thursday Through Saturday, the Evenings Stack Up
This is where the race's two beneficiaries show up back to back. The Chamber's Sip and Shop runs Thursday, Dec. 3, from 4 to 8 p.m. Last year it was a Main Street evening where participating shops and restaurants offered discounts, drinks and treats. Sip and Shop ends at 8 p.m., the same time the Odeum's first December show begins, so you can go from one straight to the other.
The Odeum's run starts that night. Doors open at 7 p.m. and shows start at 8 p.m. each evening.
| Date | Show at The Greenwich Odeum | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Thu., Dec. 3 | Flock of Seagulls with Men Without Hats | $92 to $101 |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Pink Talking Fish | $45 |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Martin Sexton | $54 to $64 |
| Fri., Dec. 18 | The Del Fuegos | $55 to $62 |
Pink Talking Fish is the lowest-priced ticket of the three-night run at $45, under half the top price for Thursday's double bill. Pink Talking Fish and Martin Sexton both share their day with an earlier event up on the hill:
- Friday, Dec. 4, 6 to 8 p.m. Arkfull Coffee House Open Mic Night in the dining room at St. Luke's, 99 Peirce St. Everyone is welcome to perform or just listen. It ends right when the Odeum show starts.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Christmas Bazaar at First Baptist Church, 31 Montrose St., has gifts, holiday décor, raffle items and live music by "A Woodwind Choir." Lunch is served at 11 a.m., and Santa arrives at 12:30 p.m. The bazaar wraps up three hours before Martin Sexton goes on.
Sunday, Dec. 6, the Week Ends on Main Street
The race started down by the water on Water Street, and the week ends uphill on Main Street. South County Tourism lists the East Greenwich Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting for Dec. 6, 2026, with a parade down Main, a tree lighting and a visit from Santa.
Last year, East Greenwich News reported that Santa arrived at Town Hall by fire truck at 5 p.m. and the tree was lit at 5:30 p.m. East Greenwich News keeps a running community calendar of events like these.
The week after the parade, the New England Wireless & Steam Museum holds its Annual Carol Sing on Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. in the museum's Meeting Hall. Then the Odeum has its last show of the year on the list, The Del Fuegos, on Dec. 18.
Here's the full run on one list, for planning:
- Sat., Nov. 28: Turkey Trot 5K at 8:30 a.m. and fun run at 9:30 a.m. at Finns Harborside, then Small Business Saturday
- Sun., Nov. 29: Children's Victorian Christmas, 1 to 3 p.m., 118 Division St.
- Wed., Dec. 2: Community Dinner, 6 to 8 p.m., Swift Community Center
- Thu., Dec. 3: Sip and Shop, 4 to 8 p.m., then Flock of Seagulls with Men Without Hats at the Odeum
- Fri., Dec. 4: Arkfull open mic, 6 to 8 p.m., then Pink Talking Fish
- Sat., Dec. 5: Christmas Bazaar, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., then Martin Sexton
- Sun., Dec. 6: Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting on Main Street
- Sat., Dec. 12: Carol Sing at the New England Wireless & Steam Museum, 7 p.m.
At Sold With Love by Chanthaly, Chanthaly Morin follows East Greenwich's calendar from the harbor up to the hill because that's where a neighborhood's character shows. If questions about your own place in town come up somewhere between the Turkey Trot and the tree lighting, Chanthaly would be glad to talk them through. Schedule a Free Consultation whenever it suits your holiday calendar.
