Thanksgiving in Big Bear 2026: Bring the Whole Family to the Mountains
Thanksgiving is about food, family and spending time together.
So instead of gathering for a few hours and then sending everyone home, why not bring the whole family to Big Bear Lake for Thanksgiving 2026?
The kids are out of school. The mountain air is cool and crisp. The Christmas season begins in The Village the very next night. And instead of making Thanksgiving a one-day gathering, you can turn it into a three-night family getaway in Big Bear.
At Edgar’s Hideaway, Thanksgiving has a three-night minimum stay, giving everyone time to settle in and actually enjoy being together.
And bring everybody.
Edgar’s Hideaway sleeps up to 16 guests in Upper Moonridge at approximately 7,200 feet overlooking Bear Mountain.
Come to Big Bear. Cook a huge Thanksgiving dinner together. Watch football. Spend Black Friday in The Village. See Santa and the Christmas Tree Lighting. Let the kids take over the game room.
Three nights. One house. One Thanksgiving. The whole family together.
Thanksgiving 2026 in Big Bear Lake
Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026.
For many families, that means the kids are already out of school and everyone has several days to spend together.
That’s what makes Big Bear such a good Thanksgiving destination.
This doesn’t need to be one of those vacations where you’re constantly looking for the next activity.
Thanksgiving in Big Bear can be simpler.
Get everyone together.
Cook.
Eat.
Watch football.
Play games.
Spend some time in The Village.
And enjoy a few days when the whole family is actually in the same place.
If you’re considering other holiday trips to Big Bear this winter, we’ve also put together our Big Bear Holiday Cabin Guide covering Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and the winter holiday season.
Plenty of Room to Cook a Huge Thanksgiving Dinner
When you’re bringing 12, 14 or 16 people together for Thanksgiving, the kitchen matters.
Edgar’s Hideaway has plenty of room to prepare a big holiday meal for the entire family.
The large kitchen includes double ovens, two microwaves, a warming drawer and plenty of counter space.
Think about Thanksgiving dinner.
Turkey in one oven.
Stuffing, casseroles and sides in the other.
Use the microwaves for all those last-minute jobs.
Keep finished dishes hot in the warming drawer until everything is ready.
But the best part isn’t simply having the appliances.
There’s room for everyone to cook together.
We’ve comfortably had four or five people preparing food in the kitchen while another three or four sit at the bar without the kitchen feeling crowded.
That’s what Thanksgiving should look like.
Someone is working on the turkey.
Someone is making potatoes.
Someone else is handling dessert.
The kids keep wandering through looking for something to eat.
Football is already on.
And everybody is together.
Edgar’s Hideaway Sleeps 16 — And Has Room for 16 to Actually Be Together
There’s a difference between a vacation rental that technically sleeps 16 and a house where 16 people can actually spend a holiday together comfortably.
Edgar’s Hideaway sleeps up to 16 guests.
That makes the house particularly well suited for extended families, grandparents and adult children, cousins or several families celebrating Thanksgiving together.
The house has five bedrooms, five bathrooms, multiple gathering areas and plenty of room for people to spread out.
And when a large group starts getting ready at the same time, another feature becomes surprisingly important:
Hot water.
Edgar’s Hideaway has a commercial tankless hot-water system with an 80-gallon reserve tank, helping accommodate a house full of guests showering and getting ready.
The point isn’t simply that everybody has somewhere to sleep.
Everybody gets to stay together.
Bring the Whole Family to Edgar’s Hideaway
Planning Thanksgiving in Big Bear?
Edgar’s Hideaway gives your family the space to cook a huge Thanksgiving meal, watch football, play games and spend the holiday together under one roof.
Thanksgiving has a three-night minimum stay.
See the house, check Thanksgiving availability and view current rates:
Check Availability at Edgar’s Hideaway
Start Thanksgiving Morning With the Big Bear Turkey Trot
If you want to earn some of that Thanksgiving dinner before eating it, Big Bear has you covered.
The Big Bear Lake Thanksgiving Turkey Trot returns on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 26, 2026.
It’s a family-friendly three-mile run or walk, so you don’t have to be a serious runner to participate. All ages are welcome, and the event benefits local food pantries.
Big Bear Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 2026
Get up Thanksgiving morning.
Do the Turkey Trot with whoever in the family is willing to get out of bed.
Then head back to Edgar’s Hideaway.
Turn on the ovens.
And start Thanksgiving dinner.
Cook, Eat and Watch Thanksgiving Football
After the Turkey Trot, you don’t need another itinerary.
It’s Thanksgiving.
Cook the meal together.
Get everybody around the table.
Eat too much.
Then settle in and watch Thanksgiving Day football.
Football is as much a Thanksgiving tradition for many families as turkey and pumpkin pie, and it’s a perfect way to spend the afternoon and evening at Edgar’s Hideaway.
Some people can watch football.
The kids can head to the game room.
Someone will inevitably start picking at the leftovers two hours after dinner.
And nobody has to get in the car and go anywhere.
That’s one of the advantages of having enough space for a large group.
Sixteen people don’t have to do the same thing. But everybody can still be together.
The Game Room Is Ready When the Kids Get Bored With Football
Not everybody wants to watch football all afternoon.
That’s fine.
Edgar’s Hideaway has plenty to keep everyone entertained, including Golden Tee, Skee-Ball, shuffleboard, darts and karaoke.
Start a Golden Tee tournament.
Challenge the family to shuffleboard.
Let the kids play Skee-Ball.
Turn on the karaoke after dinner.
Or relax in the sauna after everyone has eaten far too much.
You don’t need to leave the house to have something to do.
And that’s particularly nice on Thanksgiving.
Forget the Mall — Spend Black Friday in The Village
The day after Thanksgiving, forget fighting the crowds at a shopping mall.
Spend Black Friday in The Village at Big Bear Lake instead.
Walk through the shops and look for Christmas gifts.
Stop for lunch.
Grab some coffee or hot chocolate.
Let the kids explore.
Have dinner in The Village.
And enjoy the mountain-town atmosphere as Big Bear transitions from Thanksgiving into Christmas.
Visit Big Bear continues to update its official events calendar as the holiday approaches, so check for additional Thanksgiving weekend activities before your trip.
See What’s Happening in Big Bear Lake
Then stay in The Village Friday evening, because that’s when Christmas begins.
Friday Night: Big Bear Village Christmas Tree Lighting
On Friday, November 27, 2026, Big Bear kicks off the Christmas season with the annual Village Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.
The celebration takes place at Christmas Tree Corner near Village Drive and Pine Knot Avenue.
The announced festivities include live music, singing, dancing, interactive games and contests, along with Santa and Mrs. Claus and the lighting of The Village Christmas Tree.
Big Bear Village Christmas Tree Lighting 2026
It’s a natural transition from one holiday to the next.
Thursday: Thanksgiving.
Friday: Christmas begins.
Cook Thanksgiving dinner together Thursday, then take the whole family into The Village Friday evening to begin the Christmas season in Big Bear.
Will There Be Snow in Big Bear for Thanksgiving?
We wouldn’t bet on it.
Thanksgiving comes relatively early in Big Bear’s winter season.
An early winter storm is certainly possible, particularly at higher elevations, but don’t plan a Thanksgiving trip to Big Bear expecting snow.
Edgar’s Hideaway sits at approximately 7,200 feet, so if a cold November storm does arrive, elevation can certainly matter.
But snow isn’t the reason to come for Thanksgiving.
Come for the cool mountain weather.
Come for the family.
Come to cook a huge Thanksgiving dinner together.
Come to watch football.
Come for The Village and Christmas Tree Lighting.
Come to spend three nights with everyone under one roof.
If you wake up Friday morning and the mountains happen to be covered in white?
Consider it an early Christmas present.
If you’re interested in what could happen later in the season, we’ve taken a detailed look at NOAA’s El Niño outlook, historical Big Bear snowfall and the 2026–27 long-range forecasts in our Big Bear Winter Forecast 2026–27.
Could Bear Mountain or Snow Summit Be Open?
Possibly.
But we wouldn’t plan the Thanksgiving trip around skiing or snowboarding either.
Big Bear Mountain Resort has already published information for Thanksgiving Weekend, November 26–29, 2026, but opening dates depend upon temperatures, natural snowfall, snowmaking conditions and overall mountain conditions.
The resort expects to provide better opening information as Thanksgiving gets closer.
Big Bear Mountain Resort Thanksgiving Weekend
If the mountains happen to be open?
Great.
Snowboard Bear Mountain. Ski Snow Summit.
Edgar’s Hideaway sits in Upper Moonridge overlooking Bear Mountain, so an early opening would give the family another option for the weekend.
But consider skiing and snowboarding a bonus—not the reason to book Thanksgiving.
Bring the Dogs for Thanksgiving Too
For a lot of families, there’s another Thanksgiving planning problem:
What do we do with the dogs?
Bring them.
Edgar’s Hideaway is pet-friendly, so the four-legged members of the family don’t necessarily have to spend Thanksgiving at a boarding facility while everybody else heads to Big Bear.
For an extended family organizing a holiday trip, that’s one less thing to worry about.
A Simple Three-Night Thanksgiving in Big Bear
You don’t need to over-plan this trip.
Wednesday: Drive up to Big Bear. Get everyone settled at Edgar’s Hideaway. Unpack the Thanksgiving groceries, get the kitchen organized and enjoy the first evening together.
Thursday — Thanksgiving Day: Start the morning with the Big Bear Turkey Trot if you’re up for it. Come home and get Thanksgiving dinner going. Cook a huge holiday meal together. Watch football. Eat. Watch more football. Let the kids take over the game room. Get the leftovers back out later that night. Nobody has to go anywhere.
Friday — Black Friday and Christmas Begins: Sleep in. Have leftover turkey for lunch. Head into The Village for shopping, restaurants and hot chocolate. Stay for the Village Christmas Tree Lighting Friday evening.
Saturday: Enjoy another day in Big Bear. Explore the mountains, return to The Village or simply relax at Edgar’s Hideaway. And if Bear Mountain or Snow Summit happens to be open, you’ve got another option.
That’s a Thanksgiving weekend.
No frantic holiday schedule.
No trying to find a restaurant table for 16.
No family spread among several hotel rooms or cabins.
One house. One Thanksgiving. Everybody together.
Thanksgiving Is Just the Beginning of the Big Bear Holiday Season
Thanksgiving kicks off an entire holiday season in Big Bear.
If you’re thinking about coming back for Christmas or another winter getaway, see our:
And if the kids are out of school over winter break and you’re considering spending the end of the year in the mountains, we’ve put together a complete guide to:
New Year’s in Big Bear 2026–27
That trip has a very different feel.
By New Year’s, we’re thinking much more about snowboarding Bear Mountain, skiing Snow Summit, night sessions and Snow Summit’s New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade.
Thanksgiving is about something simpler.
Family. Food. Football. The mountains.
Spend Thanksgiving 2026 at Edgar’s Hideaway
The kids are out of school.
The family is together.
Bring everybody to Big Bear.
Cook a huge Thanksgiving dinner together in a kitchen big enough to handle the whole meal.
Watch football.
Let the kids take over the game room.
Bring the dogs.
Spend Black Friday walking through The Village instead of fighting crowds at the mall.
See Santa and watch the Village Christmas Tree light up Friday night.
And spend some actual time together.
Edgar’s Hideaway sleeps up to 16 guests in Upper Moonridge at approximately 7,200 feet overlooking Bear Mountain.
Thanksgiving has a three-night minimum stay.
You don’t need guaranteed snow.
You don’t need a packed itinerary.
You need the people you care about, plenty of food and enough room for everyone to actually spend the holiday together.
Three nights. One house. One Thanksgiving. The whole family together.
Ready to Spend Thanksgiving in Big Bear?
See photos of Edgar’s Hideaway, check available Thanksgiving dates and view current rates:
Check Thanksgiving Availability at Edgar’s Hideaway
Bring the whole family to Edgar’s Hideaway this Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving 2026 event schedules and resort operations are subject to change. Check the official event and resort links above as your trip approaches.