Stuff your Thanksgiving break with fun

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By Hailey Peters

The leaves have changed color and fallen to ground. The weather forecast calls for brisk chills daily and frosts nightly. The smell of turkey looms in the near future. Thanksgiving season is upon us.

Whether they’re going home to see all their family and friends, staying around in Lexington or going on an extravagant trip, students seem to be excited about the upcoming Thanksgiving Break. With the last academic holiday being a single off-day for Labor Day at the beginning of September, students all over UK’s campus are eager to put their classes to the side for five days and enjoy themselves.

Students across the board are excited about the upcoming break, but the sudden halt of busy days may leave some wondering, “What do I do with myself in this free time for five whole days?” College students are so used to being busy with classes, studying, work and extracurricular involvement that not having anything productive planned can throw them off and leave them confused on what they can do with their time. To give the student body ideas of what to do, here are some things that other students are reportedly doing over break:

1. Travel

Leaving Lexington and even one’s hometown is pretty common among breakers. Haylee Geisthardt, a freshman landscape architecture major, is going to Wisconsin to visit her family.

“I’m from Michigan, but my family is in Wisconsin,” she said. “We have Thanksgiving with my dad, then a Christmas celebration also, and then we end with another Thanksgiving with my mom’s. I’m excited to go home and see them.”

Going back home isn’t the only option for traveling over break. Carson McKee, freshman marketing major, is going way out for her break.

“I’m going to Nashville,” McKee said. “I’m a musician, and I’m going to be playing some shows down there.”

2. Try out new recipes in the kitchen

Thanksgiving classics such as turkey, pumpkin pie and stuffing are always a crowd favorite. But whether students consider themselves master chefs or just want to try their hands at cooking, Thanksgiving is a perfect time to experiment. Buy a quirky used cookbook from Goodwill or an overstock store or look up some eclectic recipes online. Trying new food on a holiday that is characterized by food is a great opportunity to do something new and fun. It’s also a great opportunity to try something different outside of the basic.

“Since I have a lot of extended family, I attend about five Thanksgiving dinners,” Kaleigh Shaw, freshman marketing major, said. “We get tired of the typical turkey and dressing, so my nanny always makes chicken and dumplings, which has become a staple. On my dad’s side, my nana fries chicken coated in buttermilk dressing, and it is so good.”

3. Visit local fall sites

A lot of areas, especially small towns, pride themselves on their pumpkin patches and corn mazes that are open to the public during the fall season. A prime example of a great fall site is Jackson’s Orchard in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

“Everyone goes to Jackson’s,” Shaw, a native of Scottsville, said. “It’s overrated in my opinion, but I have to get my pictures with pumpkins. And the apple cider slushies are my life.”

4. Host a ‘Friendsgiving’

Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate and spend time with family. However, ‘Friendsgiving’ celebrations have recently gained a lot of popularity.

Plan a dinner with all your friends who can make it. It does not have to be expensive or difficult for anybody involved, as each person can plan to bring one dish and one necessary utility, like plates or napkins. It’s a great way for people to connect with the people that mean the most to them, even if those people aren’t related by blood.

5. Attend one of the festivities in Lexington

Staying in Lexington over break? There are cool and exciting things to do here as well.

During the holiday season, many find it important to give back to those in need. Broadway Christian Church is seeking volunteers for their “Thanksgiving Dinner for the Community” on Wednesday, Nov. 21, from 4 to 6 p.m. The church’s website describes this as an opportunity to eat dinner with the church and volunteer time to help serve others.

After the Thanksgiving feasts are over, Christmas shopping season will be in full swing. The Summit at Fritz Farm is hosting “Black Friday Bash” on Friday, Nov. 23, and there will be over $3,000 in giveaways, according to The Summit’s website. In addition to lots of free stuff being handed out, there will be a complimentary hot cocoa bar. This coupled with holiday deals at each store is expected to make the event a Lexington favorite.

Although not many student activities are happening on campus over break, there are still athletics home matches that can be attended. Men’s basketball plays on Wednesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 7 p.m. Volleyball hosts its senior night on Saturday at 1 p.m. Men’s soccer will host the third round of the C-USA tournament; the team will play Lipscomb University at the Bell Complex on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Thanksgiving break will begin on Wednesday, Nov. 21, and classes will resume the following Monday. Happy Thanksgiving, Wildcats!