I saw something on Facebook the other day that really blew me away: only eight Saturdays until CHRISTMAS. Whaaaaa…? How did that happen? It’s OK. Take a breath. We still have to get through Halloween and Thanksgiving before we get to Christmas.

Speaking of, if you’re planning to spend Thanksgiving in Durango, you have a few options other than spending the day slaving over a stove (or with your family, if that’s not your thing):

Community Thanksgiving Dinner

Durango does something really cool every Thanksgiving: It puts on a community Thanksgiving dinner at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. The annual feast is free, and everyone is welcome — just as it has been for nearly 30 years. The traditional meal comes with all the fixin’s will be served from noon to 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27. We hear the stuffing is something to write home about. (P.S. The fairgrounds, at 2500 Main Ave. in Durango, is only four blocks from the Durango Quality Inn at 2930 Main Ave.)

Mahogany Grille at the Strater Hotel

Step inside the historic Strater Hotel in Durango to enjoy fine dining at the Mahogany Grille. The Mahogany Grill already has its 2014 Thanksgiving menu up, and it’s a doozy. The $29 buffet ($15 for kids 4 to 12 and free for children 3 and younger) will offer: tomato bisque; an impressive salad bar; a bread display with house-made rolls and baguettes; fresh fruits and vegetables; oven-roasted turkey with  gravy and cranberry sauce; mashed potatoes; candied yams; apple stuffing; pasta primavera; prime rib; and a seemingly endless list of desserts. There’s more, but we couldn’t finish it without getting a snack.

There will likely be other options as well, but we don’t yet have information about every place that will be dishing up traditional Thanksgiving meals on T-Day. The Sky Ute Casino in Ignacio, Colorado — just about 30 minutes southeast of Durango — usually puts on a big Thanksgiving Day buffet, but we don’t have details yet. Do you know of any places in Durango to pile up your plate on Turkey Day?

If you’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving in Durango — either to hit up the ski slopes or to spend the holiday with family — be sure to book your room for the weekend at the Durango Quality Inn. (Bonus: We won’t come in without knocking or ask when you plan to give us grandkids.)