On Thanksgiving morning last year, the restaurant corner at 1096 S. Gaylord Street sat empty. Wash Park Grille and its neighbor Agave Taco Bar had closed for good in February 2025, after a brief reopening that followed a city tax seizure, and nothing had replaced them yet. Nearly 11,600 people still ran the Turkey Trot through Washington Park that morning.
This year the corner is open. Denverite reports that Wash Park Social opened there in April, and it has put Thanksgiving Day on its calendar as the Turkey Trot after-party. The Firefly Handmade holiday market fills the 1000 block of Gaylord the weekend before. Put together, the neighborhood's two biggest late-November crowds land five days apart, and both have a table waiting for them on Gaylord.
The corner's first holiday season
The Denver Post reported in March that Wash Park Social has four co-owners: Bart Hickey, Aaron Grant, Kris Johnson and Justin Martinez. Hickey runs the restaurant. The restaurant describes its focus as Colorado cuisine, craft cocktails and curated wine. The room mixes modern farmhouse, gothic and art deco.
You'll know most of the menu: burgers, chicken sandwiches, salmon. It also lists grilled octopus, beet carpaccio and Colorado wagyu meatballs, and the restaurant says the menu changes with the seasons. For late November, the layout may matter more than the food. There are two covered patios, both open to dogs, and brunch runs on weekends.
Regular hours are:
- Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Sunday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Thanksgiving falls on a Thursday, which normally means an 11 a.m. start. On November 26 the restaurant lists a 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thanksgiving and Turkey Trot After-Party. A traditional turkey dinner costs $45 per person, and the listing says seating is limited. The 10 a.m. opening is the same minute the race's third wave leaves the start line.
Next door, Provecho Tacos & Tequila is taking over the former Agave Taco Bar space. The Denver Post described the plan as street tacos and margaritas.
Saturday and Sunday, November 21–22: Firefly takes the street
The weekend before Thanksgiving, Firefly Handmade closes the 1000 block of South Gaylord between Tennessee and Mississippi for its outdoor holiday market. Here's what Firefly's market page lists:
- Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days
- Vendors: more than 80 artists, makers and designers
- Admission: free, with families and dogs welcome
- Music: a full lineup of Colorado performers
The market sits on the same blocks as the street's longtime shops and restaurants, and Firefly points visitors to them too. According to the Old South Gaylord business directory, Homegrown Tap & Dough is at 1001 S. Gaylord, The Cookery at Myrtle Hill at 1020 and Reiver's at 1085. The Cookery serves daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., which covers breakfast before the vendors open and lunch in the middle of the day. Max Gill & Grill is at 1052 S. Gaylord.
Broderick is at 1080 S. Gaylord. 303 Magazine reported that it opened August 15, 2025, as a café and cocktail lounge from the team behind Uncle Tim's Cocktails. It serves coffee, cocktails and food from local partners, and when it opened, 303 Magazine listed its doors as opening at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, right when the market's vendors pack up. Wash Park Social anchors the south end of the block, with Saturday and Sunday brunch both starting at 10 a.m., the same time the market opens.
Wednesday, November 25: the pie run
Devil's Food Bakery at 1004 S. Gaylord is taking Thanksgiving orders. Pickup runs Wednesday, November 25, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and the bakery is closed on Thanksgiving Day. If you want dessert from them, Wednesday is the only day to get it, and the order needs to go in first. Ordering details are on the bakery's site.
Thursday, November 26: the 53rd Turkey Trot
Mile High United Way organizes the Turkey Trot. This year is the 53rd, with a 4-mile race or walk and a 1-mile family fun run. The race has grown. In 2022 the Denver Post put the crowd at about 9,000. In 2025, nearly 11,600 people ran and the race raised more than $770,000. The money goes to Mile High United Way's work on early learning, education and housing support for young adults, and helping families cover basic needs.
The race-day schedule:
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 7:30 a.m. | Registration opens |
| 8:15 a.m. | Wave 1 corrals open |
| 9:00 a.m. | Wave 1 starts |
| 9:30 a.m. | Wave 2 starts |
| 10:00 a.m. | Wave 3 starts |
| 10:15 a.m. | Lil' Gobbler 1-mile Family Fun Run starts |
The course starts at South High School, 1700 E. Louisiana Ave., and the organizer posts a course map. The Lil' Gobbler run starts and finishes at the main race's start and finish lines. Denverite reported that the 2025 race finished near South Downing Street and East Tennessee Avenue.
A few details shape the morning for anyone living near the park:
- Spectating is open, but the finish area isn't. The organizer welcomes spectators all along the course. Post-race activities are for registered runners with a bib. Children under 2 can get into the Lil' Gobbler Family Fun Zone on a parent's bib.
- Dogs can run. Leashes must be non-retractable and no longer than 6 feet.
- Parking points at the park's edges. The organizer lists South High School, the perimeter of Washington Park and the All City Stadium lot south of the school. It asks visitors to be courteous to Washington Park neighbors and follow posted parking signs. If you live along the perimeter, expect parked cars from out-of-towners before sunrise.
- You can still sign up that morning. On-site registration runs from the tents in front of South High on Thanksgiving morning. The organizer recommends registering early, since it can't guarantee shirt sizes for race-day sign-ups. Advance packet pickup is at Fleet Feet in Cherry Creek, 3000 E. 1st Ave., #112.
- Bring ID if you're staying for a drink. There's a craft beer garden after the race, and costumes are encouraged.
The race also qualifies runners for the BOLDERBoulder 10K in Boulder on Memorial Day. Registration is through the Turkey Trot page, where the current entry fee appears at checkout.
From there the day moves back to Gaylord. Wash Park Social opens at 10 a.m., before the Lil' Gobbler run starts at 10:15, and the turkey dinner runs until 6 p.m. for anyone who would rather skip cooking than skip the race.
Sunday, December 20: one more lap
The park's holiday running doesn't stop at Thanksgiving. Colorado Runner Events lists an Ugly Sweater 5K at Washington Park on Sunday, December 20, 2026, starting at 9 a.m. On a Sunday, Wash Park Social opens for brunch at 10 a.m., an hour after the start.
If you're hosting family for the holiday and want to know how a Gaylord-to-the-park week plays out on a particular block, we're glad to help. At Colin & Company, we keep track of this neighborhood's calendar the same way we track its homes, and we're always happy to compare notes on which corner of Wash Park suits the way you spend November. Let's Connect.
