Thanksgiving is just a week away…yikes! If your fall has gone anything like mine, Thanksgiving snuck up on you and you’re likely scrambling for some last minute plans or excuses to avoid helping your Aunt Betty cook jello salad for the 5th year in a row. Whether your coming to Durango for the holiday weekend or live here and simply want out of the house, here is a guide to places to eat and things to do during thanksgiving week here in Durango.

Places to Eat

1. Durango Community Thanksgiving Dinner – The tradition continues on November 26th, 2016 with volunteers hosting a Thanksgiving meal for the community. All are welcome to come to the La Plata County Fairgrounds from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to enjoy a complimentary meal and community fellowship.
2. The Palace Restaurant – Open from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. located in downtown Durango, The Palace Restaurant will have a limited menu available featuring a delicious Thanksgiving special starting at $29.00 per adult. Reservations are highly recommended.
3. Sky Ute Casino – Located in Ignacio about 30 minutes away from Durango is the Sky Ute Casino which has several restaurants that will be open on Thanksgiving Day. Check out the buffet at Willows Cafe Bistro or the evening menu at Seven Rivers Steak Seafood and Spirits.
4. The Edgewater Grille – Located in the DoubleTree Hotel, the Edgewater Grille have a Thanksgiving Buffet starting at 11:00 a.m. till 4:30 p.m., last reservations seating at 3:30 p.m. Meals start at $34.25 per adult and reservations are still available.

• Mahogany Grille – For those of you familiar with Durango, you may be wondering why I did not list the Mahogany Grille located inside the Strater Hotel. The reason is simple, they are already completely booked and are only taking names for a waitlist.

Things to Do

1. The Polar Express Train Ride starts on November 21st and runs until January 2nd, 2016. Tickets for this family event start at $32 for adults and $22 for children. For more information read our earlier post regarding all things Polar Express.
2. Purgatory Ski Resort announced their opening day as November 21st, 2015. Less than 30 minutes away the lifts start running at 9:00 a.m. and an adult ticket for the day costs $85.00
3. Singing with Santa – On Friday November 27th meet outside the First National Bank of Durango before 5:45 p.m. Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive at 6:00 p.m. Enjoy hot chocolate and cookies while you carol down the streets of Durango, ending at Buckley Park where you can watch the lighting of Durango’s Christmas tree.
4. Grab your favorite winter seasonal beer at any of Durango’s many breweries. My favorites include; Euphoria Pale Ale by Ska, Colorado Kolsch Ale by Steamwork’s or Iron Horse Oatmeal Stout at Carver Brewing Company.
5. Get out of the house on Saturday and Sunday and watch some football! Cuckoo’s Chicken House in downtown Durango has all the games in HD. Not to mention a fun down-home environment with “broasted” chicken to snack on. What more could you ask for?

Even though we are just a week away there is still plenty of time to plan an amazing Durango Thanksgiving, your family will never know you waited till the last minute. Book your room today at the Durango Quality Inn.