The Thanksgiving Day Turkey Bowl: Getting to Calvert Hall vs. Loyola and Home in Time for Dinner

In a lot of Baltimore households, Thanksgiving morning doesn't start in the kitchen. It starts in the stands, wrapped in a scarf in school colors, watching Calvert Hall and Loyola Blakefield play the Turkey Bowl. The rivalry between the two Towson-area Catholic schools goes back to 1920, and it is one of the longest-running high school football rivalries in the country. For alumni, it is a reunion as much as a game; for current students and their families, it is the biggest event of the fall.

It is also a logistical puzzle. The game falls on the same morning that families are cooking, relatives are arriving at BWI, and everyone is trying to be at the table by mid-afternoon. This guide covers how to plan Thanksgiving Day around the Turkey Bowl, from getting to the stadium to getting home for dinner.

When and Where the Game Is Played

The Turkey Bowl is traditionally played on Thanksgiving morning, which falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026. The venue and kickoff time have changed over the years, and the schools announce them each season along with ticket information. Check the official Calvert Hall or Loyola Blakefield athletics announcements before you plan the day, because the location determines everything else: the drive, the parking and how long it takes to get back out.

Both schools are in the Towson area, so most fans come from Baltimore County, the city and Harford County, with alumni flying in from much farther. Our Towson and Timonium events guide covers how traffic behaves around big events in that part of the county.

Why the Morning Gets Complicated

Thanksgiving morning has a few things working against a smooth trip to the game:

• Everyone arrives at once. Thousands of fans converge on the stadium in the hour before kickoff, and the closest parking fills quickly.
• Everyone leaves at once, too. When the final whistle blows, the whole crowd heads for the exits and the same roads at the same time.
• The clock is ticking. Most families have a dinner time, a turkey in the oven or relatives waiting, and a long wait in post-game traffic eats into it.
• It's cold. Late November mornings in Baltimore County can be near freezing, and a long walk from a distant lot isn't much fun for younger children or older alumni.

Getting There Without the Parking Hunt

A drop-off close to the stadium entrance avoids most of the problem. Your chauffeur drops your group as near as game-day traffic and any event-management rules allow, then either waits nearby or returns at the time you set. If you want to stay for the trophy presentation and the post-game handshakes, set a pickup time with a buffer; if you need to leave at the final whistle to get dinner started, agree on a pickup spot a short walk from the stadium where traffic is moving.

It helps to agree on that pickup point before kickoff. After the game, phone service can be slow when thousands of people are calling and posting at the same time, so a fixed meeting point and time is more reliable than calling to find each other.

Alumni Groups and Class Reunions

For many alumni, the Turkey Bowl is the one day of the year when the old class gets together. Groups often meet for breakfast before the game, watch together and head to a bar or someone's house afterward before splitting up for family dinners. One vehicle for the group keeps everyone together and means nobody has to drive after a celebratory toast.

• A GMC Yukon XL seats five, and a Lincoln Navigator seats six.
• A Mercedes Sprinter carries up to thirteen passengers, a good fit for a reunion group or a family with several generations of alumni. See our Sprinter Shuttle page.
• If the group is coming from several addresses, give us the pickup order and we'll set times so the last person isn't waiting at the curb while the first is still finding a hat.

Combining the Game With BWI Arrivals

Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest at BWI, and many alumni fly in on Wednesday night or even on Thanksgiving morning. If a relative is landing that morning, it can be easier to book the airport pickup and the game-day ride together: the chauffeur meets them at BWI and brings them straight to the stadium, or drops them at home while the rest of the family is at the game.

Our chauffeurs track inbound flights, so the pickup adjusts to the actual landing time, and airport pickups include 45 minutes of complimentary waiting on domestic arrivals and 60 minutes on international arrivals, timed from touchdown.

Planning the Rest of Thanksgiving Day

The game is only the start of the day. A few planning tips:

• Work backward from dinner. If dinner is at 3 p.m. and the game ends around midday, there's room for a short celebration. If dinner is earlier, plan to leave at the final whistle.
• Plan the afternoon rides too. Grandparents who came to the game may need a ride to a different house for dinner, and guests who drink at dinner will need a ride home that evening.
• Consider an hourly booking. If the day includes the game, a stop at a friend's house and the trip to dinner, keeping the vehicle and chauffeur with you is often easier than separate rides.

Families of Players and Band Members

If your child is on the team, in the band or cheering, your schedule is different: early arrival, equipment, and a long day for the student. Players and performers usually have their own arrival times set by the school, and families often want to arrive later and leave with their student after the game. Tell us the student's report time and where you'd like to be picked up, and we'll plan around it.

If the Weather Turns

Thanksgiving morning weather in Baltimore County can range from bright and crisp to cold rain, and the game is played outdoors. Pack rain gear along with the blanket, and check the schools' announcements that morning in case of any schedule change. Wet weather slows traffic leaving the stadium too, so add a little more cushion between the final whistle and your dinner time. If conditions look bad, call us early to adjust the pickup.

What to Bring

• Warm layers, gloves and a hat, plus a blanket for the stands.
• Tickets, if required, and any parking or entry information the school provides.
• A charged phone and the chauffeur's contact saved.
• A dish or bag for dinner, which can stay in the vehicle during the game if you're going straight to the table afterward.

Booking Your Thanksgiving Day Rides

Thanksgiving is one of our busiest days, with airport runs, family gatherings and game-day trips all happening at once. Book early, especially for larger vehicles. Sedan and SUV reservations can be cancelled free of charge up to 3 hours before pickup, and Sprinter and special-event bookings up to 12 hours before.

You can book your Turkey Bowl ride online or call 877-609-1919 any hour of the day. Tell us the game location once it's announced, your group size and your dinner plans, and we'll build the schedule.