Thanksgiving Events Celebrated with Fans by the Indianapolis Colts

Thanksgiving in the NFL is about more than just football—it’s about tradition, community, and sharing gratitude with the fans who support teams year-round. For the Indianapolis Colts, this year’s Thanksgiving celebrations went beyond the gridiron, with a series of events designed to bring players, coaches, and fans together to honor the holiday’s spirit of giving. From feeding families in need to hosting special gameday traditions, the Colts turned Thanksgiving into a week-long celebration of their connection to the Indianapolis community. Thanksgiving Events Celebrated with Fans by the Indianapolis Colts isn’t just a recap of activities—it’s a story of how a football team can become a cornerstone of holiday joy for the people who cheer them on.

Thanksgiving Events Celebrated with Fans by the Indianapolis Colts begins with the Colts’ annual “Turkey Trot & Meal Drive,” a community event that kicked off Thanksgiving week with purpose. Held at Lucas Oil Stadium, the event invited fans to participate in a 5K walk/run, with every participant donating a frozen turkey or non-perishable food item to benefit Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana. Over 3,000 fans turned out, donating more than 2,500 turkeys and 10,000 pounds of food—enough to provide Thanksgiving meals for 5,000 local families. Colts players, including running back Jonathan Taylor and tight end Kylen Granson, joined the trot, high-fiving participants and posing for photos along the route. “Thanksgiving is about making sure everyone has a chance to celebrate with a warm meal,” Taylor said. “Events like this let us connect with fans in a way that’s bigger than football. It’s humbling to see so many people come out to support our community—and it’s a reminder of why we love playing here in Indianapolis.” The Turkey Trot has become a beloved Colts tradition, now in its 12th year, and it sets the tone for a week of giving.

A second highlight of Thanksgiving Events Celebrated with Fans by the Indianapolis Colts is the “Thanksgiving with the Colts” dinner, hosted at Lucas Oil Stadium for 200 families from local youth programs and homeless shelters. The event transformed the stadium’s club level into a festive dining space, complete with Thanksgiving decorations, a DJ playing holiday music, and Colts cheerleaders serving meals. Players like quarterback Gardner Minshew and rookie cornerback Julius Brents sat down with families, sharing stories about their own Thanksgiving traditions and listening to fans talk about what they’re grateful for. Each family also received a gift bag with a Colts-themed blanket, a turkey-shaped cookie, and a $50 gift card to a local grocery store for additional holiday supplies. “Sitting down and eating with these families reminds you what Thanksgiving is really about,” Minshew said. “Football is great, but moments like this—where you get to see the smiles on kids’ faces and hear their stories—are the ones you’ll remember forever. We’re lucky to be able to share this day with them.” The dinner, organized in partnership with the Colts Foundation, has become a fan favorite, with families applying to attend months in advance.

Thanksgiving Events Celebrated with Fans by the Indianapolis Colts also includes the team’s Thanksgiving gameday traditions, which turned their Week 12 matchup against the Detroit Lions into a holiday spectacle for fans in attendance. Before the game, the Colts hosted a “Tailgate for a Cause” in the stadium parking lot, where fans could purchase special Thanksgiving-themed food (like turkey sliders and pumpkin pie) with proceeds going to the Colts Foundation’s youth football programs. Inside the stadium, every fan received a free Colts-themed Thanksgiving napkin and a small jar of locally made cranberry sauce—donated by a Indianapolis-based farm. During halftime, the Colts honored 10 local “Thanksgiving Heroes”—community members who volunteer with food banks, senior centers, and youth organizations—by bringing them onto the field and presenting them with awards. For the Indianapolis Colts, these gameday traditions aren’t just about entertaining fans; they’re about weaving the team into the fabric of the community’s holiday celebrations. “Our fans make this team what it is, so we want to give them a Thanksgiving experience they’ll never forget,” Colts president Pete Ward said. “From the tailgate to the halftime ceremony, every part of the day is designed to say ‘thank you’ for their support.”

Another meaningful event in Thanksgiving Events Celebrated with Fans by the Indianapolis Colts is the “Senior Thanksgiving Visit,” where Colts players and cheerleaders visited five local senior centers to spend time with residents who might otherwise be alone on the holiday. Players like defensive end Kwity Paye and linebacker Zaire Franklin brought along board games, holiday cards (hand-drawn by local kids), and small gifts, sitting with seniors to play bingo, share stories, and even sing Thanksgiving carols. At one center, Paye helped a 92-year-old Colts fan, Mary Johnson, video call her grandchildren in Florida—something she hadn’t been able to do in months. “Visiting these seniors was one of the most special parts of my week,” Paye said. “So many of them have been Colts fans for decades, and hearing them talk about watching games with their families over the years was incredible. No one should be alone on Thanksgiving, and we’re glad we could be here for them.” For the Indianapolis Colts, these visits are a way to honor the team’s longest-standing fans and show appreciation for their decades of support. The seniors, in turn, shared stories of Colts history—from the team’s move to Indianapolis in 1984 to their Super Bowl win in 2007—creating a bridge between the team’s past and present.

Finally, Thanksgiving Events Celebrated with Fans by the Indianapolis Colts wraps up with the lasting impact of these events—and how they strengthen the bond between the team and the Indianapolis community. Whether it’s feeding families in need, hosting a dinner for fans, or visiting seniors, every event is rooted in the Colts’ mission to be more than just a football team—they want to be a partner in making the community a better place. The response from fans has been overwhelming: social media was filled with photos and videos of fans at the Turkey Trot, the Thanksgiving dinner, and the gameday events, with many calling the week “the best Thanksgiving ever.” For the Indianapolis Colts, these events are a reminder that football is a platform to do good—and that the team’s greatest success isn’t measured in wins and losses, but in the lives they touch. “Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful, and we’re so grateful for our fans and our community,” head coach Shane Steichen said. “These events let us give back a little of what we’ve been given, and they remind us why we do what we do. We’re already looking forward to next year’s celebrations.” Thanksgiving Events Celebrated with Fans by the Indianapolis Colts ultimately reveals that the team’s true strength lies in its connection to the people of Indianapolis—and that during the holidays, that connection becomes even stronger.