Thanksgiving in Horizon West 2026: turkey trot, closures, trash

Last checked Oct. 8, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. The trash schedule comes from Orange County’s holiday collection page, school dates from the OCPS 2026-27 calendar, race details from Florida Running Company and Winter Garden closures from the city calendar.

Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26. Orange County Public Schools are off the whole week, Nov. 23-27. Orange County trash pickup slides a day for Thursday and Friday routes. The nearest organized turkey trot runs the Sunday before, Nov. 22, at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont, about nine miles west. Horizon West is unincorporated, so Orange County, not a city, runs trash, parks and libraries here.

What this means for you

• Trash: Thursday pickup moves to Friday, Nov. 27; Friday pickup moves to Saturday, Nov. 28.
• School: OCPS Thanksgiving Break is Nov. 23-27.
• Run: Great Turkey Trot 5K, 8 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, Southern Hill Farms.
• Orange County 311: dial 311 or 407-836-3111 for county services.

Turkey trot

The Dream Finders Homes Great Turkey Trot 5K and Orlando Health Kids Races start and finish at Southern Hill Farms, 16651 Schofield Road, Clermont, on Sunday, Nov. 22, the organizer’s race page says:

• 8 a.m. 5K start; 9 a.m. awards; 9:15 a.m. kids’ races, from 50 to 200 yards depending on age.
• Registration: 5K $35 before Nov. 7 and $40 from Nov. 7; kids’ races $15.
• 5K runners get chip timing, a race shirt, a finisher medal and an apple cider doughnut from the farm. The organizer says the race has sold out in each of the last three years.

No Thanksgiving Day race in Horizon West itself had been announced when we checked.

Trash and recycling

Horizon West homes are on Orange County collection. The county changes pickup for only two holidays, and Thanksgiving is one, according to its holiday collection page:

The Orange County Landfill and transfer stations are closed on Thanksgiving, the county says. Pickup days, cart rules and bulk waste are on our trash and recycling guide.

If you live inside Winter Garden city limits (many Horizon West addresses say “Winter Garden” but are in unincorporated Orange County), the city’s rules differ. The City of Winter Garden says there is no collection on Thursday, Nov. 26, with no makeup day; service resumes on your next scheduled day, and Friday collection runs as normal on Nov. 27. City offices are closed Nov. 26 and 27.

School break

The OCPS 2026-27 calendar lists Thanksgiving Break from Monday, Nov. 23, through Friday, Nov. 27. The same calendar lists Nov. 23 and Nov. 24 as the third and fourth make-up days if storms close schools earlier in the year, so check for district notices if the hurricane season causes closures. More is on our schools guide.

What is open and closed

• Orange County Library System: the new Horizon West Branch, 4657 Hamlin Groves Trail, opens Saturday, Oct. 10. The library had not posted its 2026-27 holiday closings when we checked. Last year it closed at 6 p.m. the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and stayed closed Thursday and Friday, its holiday hours page shows. Book drops stay open.
• City of Winter Garden offices: closed Thursday, Nov. 26, and Friday, Nov. 27.
• Orange County Public Schools: closed all week.
• Stores and restaurants: we list hours only where a business publishes them. Shopping plans for the weekend are on our Black Friday and holiday shopping page.

Community dinners

No public Thanksgiving community dinner in Horizon West had been announced when we checked. Churches, nonprofits and restaurants serving a Thanksgiving meal can send us the details with a link, and we will add them here.

Earlier in November

• Harvest to Holly Festival, 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at Crossline Park, 17922 Old YMCA Road: a free family event from Crossline Church with hayrides, inflatables, food, music, local vendors, Santa and falling snow, the listing says.
• Flavor Fest Horizon West, 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, on the Lake District green space at Hamlin, 14111 Shoreside Way, with restaurants, caterers and food vendors. Tickets were “coming soon” on Hamlin’s events page when we checked.

The weekend after

• Fridays on the Plaza, 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27: free live music at the Centennial Plaza gazebo in downtown Winter Garden, the city calendar says.
• Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28, in downtown Winter Garden: see our holiday shopping page.
• Light Up Winter Garden follows on Friday, Dec. 4. Times and the parade are on our Christmas parade and tree lighting page.

What this means for you

• Thursday and Friday trash customers: put carts out a day later than usual.
• Register for the turkey trot before Nov. 7 to pay the lower price.
• Take bulky items to the landfill before or after Thanksgiving Day, when it is closed.

Frequently asked questions

Does trash pickup change for Thanksgiving in Horizon West?

Yes. Horizon West is served by Orange County, and in Thanksgiving week Thursday customers are picked up on Friday, Nov. 27, and Friday customers on Saturday, Nov. 28. Monday to Wednesday routes do not change.

Is there a turkey trot near Horizon West in 2026?

The Dream Finders Homes Great Turkey Trot 5K starts at 8 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, at Southern Hill Farms, 16651 Schofield Road, Clermont, with kids’ races at 9:15 a.m. Registration is $35 before Nov. 7.

When is Thanksgiving break for Orange County Public Schools in 2026?

Monday, Nov. 23, through Friday, Nov. 27, on the OCPS 2026-27 calendar. Nov. 23 and 24 are also listed as possible make-up days if school is closed for severe weather earlier in the year.

Is the Orange County landfill open on Thanksgiving?

No. Orange County says the landfill and its transfer stations are closed on Thanksgiving.