Cape Fear Habitat Turkey Trot moving to downtown Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity announced Thursday that its annual Turkey Trot will move to downtown Wilmington this year.

The race will be held at Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park after more than 20 years at Wrightsville Beach Park. Organizers say the event has outgrown its previous location, with participation in the 5K and 1-mile races exceeding the 3,500-person limit in recent years.

The move also comes as bridge construction is expected at Wrightsville Beach in the coming year.

“The Cape Fear Habitat Turkey Trot has a lot of history at Wrightsville Beach,” said Christina Ferris, development officer at Cape Fear Habitat. “While we will miss running the Loop, we have hundreds of runners who aren’t able to participate each year because we’ve simply outgrown the space.”

Ferris said the new location will allow more participants to take part while continuing the event’s mission of raising money for affordable housing.

“We want to make the race as accessible as possible to all participants, and we look forward to celebrating the season of thankfulness and giving back as we raise funds to build affordable housing for our neighbors,” she said.

The race is scheduled for Thanksgiving morning on Nov. 26, 2026.

Registration is expected to open in July.