THURSDAY: You can keep your cranberry jelly out of the can — for some of us, Thanksgiving is about grindhouse movies and Wild Turkey shots in a creepy sideshow atmosphere. That's where H Street NE's Palace of Wonders comes in, presenting its third annual "Quentin Tarantino Thanksgiving." Things get weird about 9:30 p.m.; bring enough cash for cheap Pabst Blue Ribbons and, heck, bring grandma, too, if she's into it.
» Palace of Wonders, 1210 H St NE; Thu., Nov. 26, 9:30 p.m., free; 202-398-7469. (Union Station)
Photo by Robyn Beck/AP/Getty Images
SITTING AROUND THE HOUSE this Thursday morning increases the chances you'll be drafted for kitchen duty. So, save yourself — and your waistline — by going on a Thanksgiving Day exercise parade.
» On the run: The weather forecast calls for a sunny, brisk day, ideal conditions for a grateful gallop. Take on the Turkey Chase 10K in Bethesda (8:30 a.m., $35-$45), Montgomery County's biggest race of the year. There are also 2-miler and 50-meter tot trot options. Or, lace up for the Turkey Trot 5K in West Potomac Park (8:30 a.m., $25), which benefits So Others Might Eat.
» Stretch your limits: So much extended family at one table means dinner's sure to come with a side dish of drama. Keep your calm by starting the day with a yoga practice. Logan's Flow Yoga (1450 P St. NW) is hosting a "Cultivating Gratitude" workshop ($25, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) that's heavy on restorative poses and soothing yoga nidra. If you tote your mat over to Capitol Hill Yoga (641 Pennsylvania Ave. SE), there's a $5 community class at 9 a.m.
» Dance fever: Later you'll tango with that turkey, but boogey your behind off first. Arlington Jazzercise (200 N. Glebe Road) invites folks to "huff before you stuff" with three classes (8 a.m., 9:10 a.m. and 10:20 a.m.). And at Joy of Motion's Friendship Heights studio (5207 Wisconsin Ave. NW), there's a $20 two-hour jazz dance workshop at 10 a.m. Or, you can always just cut a rug in your living room.
Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post
Addison Road