Here's everything happening at Penn for Thanksgiving

Penn’s campus may be emptier than usual on Thanksgiving, but that hasn’t stopped several groups on and around campus from celebrating the holiday. From charity drives to early club dinners, check out some cool events that have happened around campus and some events worth sticking around for during the break.

In case you missed it...

At Cohort Thanksgiving, Wharton students gathered Sunday evening for “a full Thanksgiving feast” with their respective cohorts. This event was open for students of all years and divided by cohort.

Nearly 20 nonprofit organizations from around Philadelphia joined together Saturday in Houston Hall to host the Thanks-for-Giving Volunteer Fair, which gave Penn students the opportunity to volunteer and give back to the community. Organized by Team CIA and the Office of Civic Engagement, the event featured a free raffle sponsored by the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Union for those who signed up to volunteer with a nonprofit. Puppies from the Animal Care & Control Team of Philadelphia also visited with attendees.

Penn Book Center held a “Holiday Giveaway” on Monday featuring hot cider and tasty treats. It gave away free Everyman’s Library books to all those who made purchases of $50 or more.

Relying exclusively on donations, one management team organized a Thanksgiving dinner this past Friday for senior citizens at Mercy-Douglas Residences.

For your travel plans home...

The Undergraduate Assembly has organized shuttles to take Penn students to the airport on Tuesday and Wednesday for only $3!

If you’re staying on campus...

Check out the JLIC at Hillel Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner. With Penn Hillel closed on Wednesday night for dinner, Rabbi Yaakov and Rachel Taubes of JLIC will be hosting a kosher dinner for students at their home in Philadelphia on Wednesday night!

Hike (or Uber) a little off campus for the holiday tree lighting on the Philadelphia Museum of Arts steps. On Wednesday, Nov. 23 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. plan to find “treats, a sampling of our holiday entertainment, and plenty of good cheer,” according to the museum’s website.

Check out the oldest Thanksgiving parade in the nation on Nov. 24 from 8:30 a.m. to noon. During the 6abc Dunkin Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade, the city streets (including the Benjamin Franklin Parkway) will be closed to make way for massive floats and giant balloons in addition to local performers from choirs, dance groups, marching bands and more.

Keep the Thanksgiving spirit alive after classes resume...

Sign up to help the SWIPE Out Hunger team package food for the hungry. After a successful donation drive during which Penn students donated meal swipes the week before Thanksgiving, SWIPE Out Hunger will send students to Share Food Program, Inc. warehouses on Nov. 29, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.