As an international Husky, you might be feeling left out of the Thanksgiving celebrations taking place on Thursday, November 25, 2021, but there is so much you can do to celebrate the holiday in your own way. Use this guide to make your Thanksgiving break plans!

Here are some ideas on what to do if you will stay in Connecticut during Thanksgiving vacation and if you don’t have plans on this national holiday:

1. ISSS Movie Night on Monday, November 22 at UConn library HBL Instruction 2119A (formerly Video Theater 2) at 2pm
2. Prepare for Black Friday: Black Friday is an annual nationwide sale that falls on the Friday right after Thanksgiving. It’s a great time to take advantage of the sales and shop for things you need, such as electronics, clothes, accessories etc… Most department stores and shops will have already put up their Black Friday deals on their websites or social media accounts, so you can research and compare deals, and plan your shopping budget accordingly.
3. Things to do locally:
   1. Run or watch the Manchester Road Race Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving Day.
   2. Check out Winterfest Hartford for free ice skating in Bushnell Park November 26 – January 9. https://www.winterfesthartford.com/
   3. Check out other 35 things to do in Connecticut this November https://www.ctvisit.com/articles/31-things-do-connecticut-november
   4. Stamford students – check out the Greenwich Reindeer Festival & Santa’s Workshop November 26-December 24, 2021 https://www.greenwichreindeerfestival.com/
4. Typical American Thanksgiving Activities:

• Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (in-person in NYC or online) https://www.macys.com/social/parade/
• Watch American Football – https://www.nfl.com/thanksgiving/

5. Dining Hall hours during Thanksgiving week break: https://dining.uconn.edu/2021/11/02/thanksgiving-break-hours-dining-halls-retail/
6. Restaurants Open Thanksgiving Day for Dining or To-Go:
   1. Hartford and Manchester Restaurants https://www.courant.com/ctnow/food-drink/hc-ctnow-thanksgiving-2020-dine-in-take-out-20201105-y22jnmztfnh5dbylb7kf5rzliy-story.html
   2. Stamford and Fairfield County Restaurants https://suburbs101.com/fairfield-county-restaurants-thanksgiving/
7. Rec Center hours during Thanksgiving break: https://recreation.uconn.edu/
8. Volunteer for Thanksgiving and beyond:

• Want to do good this Thanksgiving? A number of homeless shelters and soup kitchens are looking for volunteers. Find out if you can sign up to be volunteer since you don’t have plans, so you can spend the holiday helping others https://www.covenantsoupkitchen.org/services.htm .
• Want to volunteer to help others whenever you can? Check out Community Service Day page https://uconntact.uconn.edu/organization/cocsd for different type of services to register for a day of community service. This is a great way to meet other students and to support our community.

9. Hang out with other fellow international Huskies: Chances are, you are not the only one on campus who’s not celebrating Thanksgiving. See who else is around and organize a coffee/dinner get-together or even have a party! Whatever you choose to do, cherish this opportunity to just hang out with friends without stressing about finals. Off-campus students: Want to host your own Thanksgiving? Watch these YouTube Thanksgiving recipe videos and learn to prepare your own Thanksgiving feast.
10. Relax and recharge: Not in the mood to socialize? That’s fine too! Use this opportunity to enjoy some alone time. Catch up on your favorite Netflix shows, exercise, read a good book or just catch up on sleep. This is the perfect time to relax and recuperate so you can face the last few weeks of the semester fully charged.

NOTE: ISSS office will be closed on Thursday, November 25 and Friday, November 26, 2021

Enjoy your Thanksgiving break!

ISSS