Staying at UMD for Thanksgiving

Make Thanksgiving a Friendsgiving

Managing Thanksgiving plans is always a challenge. Although UMD is officially closed and classes are canceled from November 25th-29th, 2020, not all students will be going home for the holiday. Flights can be incredibly expensive around this time. Some students may have to work, and others may go home with a local friend for a little turkey dinner. But perhaps, instead, you’ve decided to switch things around a bit and this year go to College Park for Thanksgiving. Whichever way it works out; there is plenty to do if you are going to be at UMD for Thanksgiving this year.

Let Someone Else Do the Cooking!

Many restaurants put together a great traditional meal for Thanksgiving. Some are less traditional but sound delicious. Check out some of these:

• Old Maryland Grill: 7777 Baltimore Avenue, College Park MD 20740
• Founding Farmers: 1924 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington DC 20006
• Old Ebbitt Grill: 675 15th Street NW Washington DC 20005
• Georgia Brown’s: 950 15th St. NW Washington DC 20005

For Students Who Are Staying

Maybe your student will plan a Friendsgiving with some of their friends who decided to stay at UMD for the break. Cooking a turkey meal is ambitious so don’t be surprised if they call home to have mom help them out (or they can call 1-800-Butterball). Have each person make a dish, decorate the table (Pinterest has some great suggestions for decorating on a budget), and spend time with the people who feel like family. They can grab some great disposable tableware at Party City, making cleaning up a breeze!

• Other Things to do – *Due to Covid-19, check for updates on normal Thanksgiving week events*
• Turkey Trots in the Washington D.C. Area: There are several of these races in the area and they all are about raising money during the holidays for great causes!

Giving Back

Perhaps you prefer to spend your Thanksgiving giving back to the community. There are many organizations, churches and synagogues, and homeless shelters that would be happy to have your help. If you are affiliated with a religious organization in College Park, you may want to start by asking if they have any plans; if not, perhaps you would like to read our blog about local places of worship. It is a wonderful feeling being able to feed those who have nowhere else to go.

Housing is Open

School is officially closed, but the housing communities will not be closing for Thanksgiving. If your student will be staying on campus and has a meal plan, dining halls are closed for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Regardless of how you choose to celebrate, we hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving from the HaveUHeard team! Pass on these great tips, tell your friends and like us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Find out more about how to use HaveUHeard as a great resource. Sign up for other great tips at haveuheard.com.