Perhaps you don't want to do a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe you live in the Chicagoland area and would rather know how to find Thanksgiving activities in Chicago to do instead of dinner. Or maybe you are doing a traditional dinner and simply want to learn about other activities that may be going on either on Thanksgiving day or in the time frame close to Thanksgiving day.

• Chicago, Illinois is a great place to find activities to do any time of year. Sometimes it's simply a matter of finding the activities. Here you will learn how to find Thanksgiving activities in Chicago with ease. Some of the techniques listed here are things you may do every day anyhow and may just not realize that you can use these techniques to find this type of information. Read below to see how you can find Thanksgiving activities in the Windy City.

Whether you are at Navy Pier, grocery shopping or having a drink with friends at the Hard Rock Cafe in Chicago, there is a wealth of knowledge to be found just by listening to what people are saying. It may be that your friends or neighbors have some idea of activities that are going on in the Chicagoland area. Whatever the case may be, sometimes all you really have to do is pay attention.

• You might also try listening to Chicagoland radio stations. They often mention activities that are going on in the area and even offer chances to win tickets to events like watching a Bears football game. Some of the Chicago area radio stations are listed below.
• WBHI 90.7 FM (K-12 Radio)
• WBEZ 91.5 FM (Public Radio)
• WLUP 97.9 FM ("The Loop" playing 80s, 90s & today)

Of course, you can always watch the local news, but that isn't the only way to learn about Thanksgiving activities in Chicago. People post flyers in bus stations, on lamp posts, on the bus lines, laundromats, grocery stores, churches, on the Internet and tons of other places! For instance, try looking into one of Chicago's newspapers like the Chicago Tribune or the Sun Times. Below are some annual activities that can be found in Chicago on Thanksgiving.

• State St. Thanksgiving Day Parade: Start the day off right with the annual parade that begins at 8:30 in the morning and runs from Congress St. to Randolph St.
• Navy Pier: Chicago's famous Navy Pier hosts Thanksgiving dinner with a cruise every year.

If all else fails and you absolutely can't find any Thanksgiving activities to do in Chicago, then why not create your own? If you belong to a church or other social group, why not come together and do something for Thanksgiving to celebrate friendship and acceptance? Below are some ideas for things to do.

• Hold a potluck Thanksgiving dinner.
• Learn how to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends by hosting a party or dance on Thanksgiving or during Thanksgiving week.
• Use the time off work and school to take the children to one of the museums in Chicago, like the Museum of Science and Industry or the Museum of History.