As many international students already know, the Bay Area is a great place to be on Thanksgiving. The sheer amount of quirky events and food in the Bay Area this weekend will guarantee you’ll have a good time. If the plane ticket home is too expensive or you just aren’t emotionally prepared to brave a few days with your extended family, there are still ways to make your Berkeley Thanksgiving an iconic Thanksgiving.

San Francisco Turkey Trot

On Thursday, November 23 at 8:30 a.m., San Francisco’s famous Turkey Trot will take place. The registered participants will meet at Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park to run about San Francisco. Feel free to join in on the fun.

Sports of all sorts

Let’s be honest: none of us can afford to see the Chicago Bulls versus the Golden State Warriors game at Oracle Arena on November 24, or the Seattle Seahawks versus 49ers game at Levi’s Stadium on November 26th. We can, however, catch a viewing party or watch the  games at Pappy’s. Sounds like a fun time to us.

Black Friday shopping

Black Friday is a big shopping day in San Francisco. This is when you’ll want to head to places like Union Square or Westfield Shopping Center to get some quality Black Friday deals.

Pier 39 Tree Lighting Celebration

This November 19th from noon to  6 pm, Pier 39 will present the annual Tree Lighting Celebration. Be sure to catch a glimpse of the 60-foot Holiday Tree, which will be illuminated at 6 pm. Christmas time is coming.

Host a Friendsgiving

If you’ve got some friends staying in the Bay Area for Thanksgiving, feel free to improvise your own Thanksgiving dinner. If you’re not up to basting a turkey or whipping up some mashed potatoes, order a ton of tasty food in. This way, everyone can get a guaranteed good meal with no effort involved.

There you go. Enjoy some sports, do some shopping and maybe give some thanks at the end of the day. No matter where you are or what you do this Thanksgiving, we at the Clog hope you make it a good one.