"Sir Stuffy may look like the foreman of the year in his hard hat, but we'll leave the orange cones, jackhammers, and heavy equipment to the real construction crews!"
That line opens the 2026 Scheels Turkey Trot registration page. The next sentence makes the announcement: "Thanks to the ongoing Sparks Boulevard widening project, our speedy 10K is taking another coffee break this year."
The race is a small thing. It also shows how Sparks is running its late-fall calendar in 2026. RTC Washoe's widening of Sparks Boulevard between Greg Street and Baring Boulevard isn't scheduled to finish until summer 2027. Until then, the city's events between Veterans Day and the first weekend of December are being built around it. Some of that is spelled out, as with the Turkey Trot. Some of it you can see in the schedule, where the big December dates all land on Victorian Avenue.
The Turkey Trot stays at 2 miles for a second year
Thanksgiving falls on November 26 this year, and the 28th annual Scheels Turkey Trot starts at 8:30 a.m. Compare it with two years ago:
| Year | Distances offered | Start and finish |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Timed 10K or non-timed 2-mile | SCHEELS parking lot, 1200 Scheels Drive |
| 2025 | Non-timed 2-mile Marina stroll only | Sparks Marina Park Pavilion |
| 2026 | Non-timed 2-mile clockwise Marina loop; 10K on hiatus | Marina Park Pavilion |
You can see the 2024 format on Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful's listing for the 26th annual race. Both distances that year started and finished in the SCHEELS lot. By 2025, Fabulous Nevada's Turkey Trot roundup was describing the 27th annual race as a non-timed 2-mile stroll around the Marina, starting at the Sparks Marina Park Pavilion. This year's race page calls the 10K's absence "another coffee break" and puts it down to the widening, which makes 2026 the second year in a row without the timed race. The start is now the Marina Park Pavilion, and the course is one clockwise lap of Sparks Marina. The City of Sparks event page calls the start the Sparks Marina Gazebo. Either way, head for the Marina, not the store.
The details that matter for Thanksgiving morning:
- Cost: $35 through November 23, then $50 from November 24 to 26. Registration is online only.
- Distance: The loop is 2 miles. The race page invites runners who want more to keep going for a lap or two.
- Parking: Open parking at the Marina, with more next to Western Village along the Marina pathway.
- Strollers and dogs: Jogging strollers are encouraged. Dogs aren't allowed on the course, except registered and licensed service dogs.
- Dress code: Construction gear. Hard hats, safety vests, caution tape and tool belts all qualify, and the city's Special Events team will give a prize for the most over-the-top outfit.
The costume theme is the city's own choice. The page asks participants to dress up "to celebrate all the progress happening on Sparks Boulevard." The widening is the reason the 10K is off the schedule this year, and the city made it the costume theme as well.
What the road looks like heading into the holidays
The 10K is on pause because of the work on Sparks Boulevard itself. RTC's project page puts Legends at Sparks Marina inside the widening corridor. The south phase, from Greg Street to I-80, is done. The north phase runs from the Sparks Boulevard/I-80 westbound ramp intersection to Shadow Lane, and RTC expects construction there to continue through June 2027.
Here's what RTC's weekly traffic control report for October 23, 2026 listed for the corridor:
- A 24/7 single-lane closure on northbound Sparks Boulevard between Lincoln Way and the Baring Boulevard intersection
- A 24/7 single-lane closure on southbound Sparks Boulevard between Shadow Lane and Lincoln Way
- Howard Drive closed at Sparks Boulevard, with Fargo Way and O'Callaghan Drive as the detour
- Typical work hours of 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. northbound and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. southbound, Monday through Friday
The report also warns that "nighttime work and work during special events may occur," which covers the holiday weeks too. Closures change week to week, so the list above is a snapshot from late October. RTC posts current details at sparksblvdproject.com, or you can text "Sparks" to 866-540-8466.
Don't count on early relief. In June, KOLO's Road Ahead segment reported that most major improvements were expected by the end of 2026, with overall completion around summer 2027. RTC's current schedule still shows work through June 2027. A year-end milestone would ease some traffic, but the cones will still be up for the whole holiday stretch.
Holiday shopping trips run through this corridor too. Yard House opened recently at the Outlets at Legends. 2News reported that it hired 181 team members and brought in seven managers from other locations. For dinner there between now and New Year's, check the week's lane closures before you leave.
Two smaller fixes elsewhere in Sparks
Not every Sparks road project is still underway. RTC lists the Eagle Canyon Safety and Operations project as fully complete. It extended the shared-use path from Alena Drive to Calle De La Plata and added crossing-safety work, with construction scheduled for June through September 2026.
Further north, the Sparks Boulevard and Ion Drive traffic signal project is close. The concrete, paving and striping at the intersection are done, and work is paused while the team waits for signal equipment. RTC's October 23 report says it expects to finish "this fall."
The first date: Veterans Day at the Memorial Plaza
The calendar starts six days after this post goes up. Nevada Veterans Memorial Plaza lists a Veterans Day observance for Wednesday, November 11, from 9 to 11:30 a.m., and its event page invites the public to join at the Memorial. It's a weekday morning, so plan around work and school drop-off.
December belongs to Victorian Avenue
The month opens with a three-day block on Victorian Avenue. The 2026 Sparks Hometowne Christmas marks the parade's 39th year, and this year's theme is "Home for the Holidays."
Thursday, December 3. 39 North Pole opens from 4 to 9 p.m. with light displays, entertainment and an outdoor Christmas market.
Friday, December 4. The tree lighting runs from 6:30 to 7 p.m. next to the large gazebo at Victorian Avenue and Victorian Plaza Circle East. Mayor Ed Lawson will light the city's permanent living Christmas tree, a 60-foot Giant Sequoia. Living Stones Church will hand out hot chocolate, there will be live Christmas music, and 39 North Pole is open again from 4 to 9 p.m.
Saturday, December 5. The parade runs from 1 to 2:30 p.m. It starts at Pyramid and moves down Victorian Avenue to Victorian Plaza Circle West. Santa photos at 39 North Pole run from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and again from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., which leaves a break for the parade. 39 North Pole stays open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The parade is built by local businesses and volunteers. The city credits Living Stones Church, Hot August Nights and the Boys and Girls Club with making it happen. If your business, team or club wants a float, registration costs more as the date gets closer. The regular rate is $42 through November 9, and late registration from November 10 to 16 costs $105. For anyone reading this on November 5, that leaves four days at the lower price.
Put together, the season runs from the Memorial Plaza on November 11, to the Marina on Thanksgiving morning, to Victorian Avenue on December 3 through 5. Of the three, the Turkey Trot is the one whose event page connects its format to the widening. The race page doesn't give a date for the 10K's return and only promises it will be back "before you can say, 'Road work ahead!'"
At Smith Real Estate Group, we follow Sparks Boulevard the way our neighbors do, one lane closure at a time. If you're weighing how the corridor's 2027 finish affects a move in or around Sparks, let's talk about your next move in Reno/Sparks.
