Some families start Thanksgiving with the parade. Some start cooking early. In our family, Thanksgiving starts at Ford Field.
The Lions have been playing on Thanksgiving in Detroit since 1934. In 2026, the Chicago Bears come to Ford Field for the 87th Thanksgiving Day Classic and another chapter in one of Detroit's longest-running sports traditions. If you've never been to a Lions Thanksgiving game, this isn't quite the same trip as coming downtown for an ordinary Sunday.
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
Thursday, November 26, 2026 · Thanksgiving Day
1:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
Ford Field · Detroit, Michigan
CBS
This will be Detroit's 87th Thanksgiving Day Classic.
That's why this game feels different. The opponent changes. The players change. Coaches come and go. Generations of families keep showing up. At some point, the game stops being something you do on Thanksgiving and becomes part of how your family does Thanksgiving.
I started taking my oldest daughter to the Lions Thanksgiving game when she was 3 years old. This year will be our 21st year in a row going together.
We've sat through wins, losses, bad teams, rebuilds, games where there wasn't much to cheer about and seasons where suddenly everybody wanted Lions tickets again.
A lot has changed in those 21 years. One thing hasn't: Thanksgiving starts with the Lions.
That's probably why I look at this game differently than the other games on the schedule. Yes, it's Lions-Bears. Yes, it's a division game. But years from now, I'm probably not going to remember every score. I'm going to remember that my daughter and I kept going.
If you're going to put a division opponent across from Detroit on Thanksgiving, Chicago certainly fits.
Detroit and Chicago will meet on Thanksgiving for the 21st time in 2026.
Only Green Bay has faced Detroit more often on Thanksgiving.
The Lions are 9–11 all-time against the Bears on Thanksgiving entering this game.
This will be the sixth Lions-Bears Thanksgiving meeting in the last 12 years.
It's also an NFC North game, which gives the holiday matchup something extra beyond the Thanksgiving tradition itself.
Ford Field is always loud for a Lions game. Thanksgiving has a different feel because the entire day is built around the game.
2000 Brush Street · Detroit, Michigan
2002
Approximately 65,000 for Lions games.
Fixed indoor roof.
The stadium's downtown location makes it possible to stay close, walk to the game and avoid making Thanksgiving morning more complicated than it already is.
The Thanksgiving halftime show is part of the event too. Check the current Lions information closer to the game for the 2026 performer and game-day details.
Hotels, holiday travel, Thanksgiving dinner and a 1:00 kickoff all have to work together. The football part is easy. The rest of the day is where a little planning makes a big difference.
If possible, I'd rather already be in Detroit Wednesday night than build the entire trip around arriving Thanksgiving morning.
For this game especially, being able to walk to Ford Field can remove one more thing from Thanksgiving morning.
This is a holiday, an NFL game and a major Detroit tradition happening at the same time. I wouldn't assume the hotel or travel option you like will still be there later.
For many visitors, staying Thursday night and leaving Friday can be a lot more enjoyable than watching the fourth quarter while worrying about getting to the airport.
This sounds obvious until you're standing in downtown Detroit after the game wondering where you're eating Thanksgiving dinner.
Possible, but a 1:00 PM kickoff means breakfast or an early meal makes more sense than trying to squeeze in a traditional Thanksgiving dinner before heading to Ford Field.
This can work well, but restaurants serving Thanksgiving meals may require reservations and may use special holiday menus or hours.
Depending on where you're staying, a hotel Thanksgiving meal can sometimes make the entire day easier.
If you're combining the game with a family Thanksgiving, work backward from kickoff and decide when the meal actually fits instead of hoping the timing works itself out.
There are plenty of ways to do it. The main thing is giving the holiday enough room that the day doesn't become one long rush.
Arrive in Detroit, check into the hotel and have dinner. If you're staying downtown, get familiar with where Ford Field is before Thanksgiving morning.
Breakfast, Lions gear and downtown. Don't schedule a bunch of other things. The morning moves faster than you think before a 1:00 kickoff.
Ford Field, Thanksgiving football and the reason you came.
Have the dinner plan figured out before game day. Then you can leave Ford Field and enjoy the rest of Thanksgiving instead of searching for somewhere that's open.
Head home, stay another night or use Friday to see more of Detroit if you want to turn the game into a longer holiday weekend.
Thanksgiving doesn't have to be the end of the trip. If you're already here, Friday and Saturday can become the Detroit part of the weekend.
Spend some time downtown when you aren't trying to get into Ford Field with 65,000 other people.
If late-November weather cooperates, it's an easy way to see another side of downtown and the riverfront.
A good Detroit-specific stop if you're extending the trip beyond Thanksgiving Day.
Worth considering if you're staying through the weekend and want something that can fill a larger part of the day.
Two areas to consider for restaurants and a little more Detroit time after the Thanksgiving rush is over.
Thanksgiving finishes one of the strangest stretches on Detroit's 2026 schedule.
Detroit vs. New England in Munich, Germany.
Tampa Bay at Detroit.
Chicago at Detroit on Thanksgiving.
Germany, a Sunday home game and Thanksgiving football all in a span of 12 days.
I probably can't give you an unbiased opinion about this game. I've been taking my daughter since she was 3, and 2026 will make 21 straight years for us. At this point it's just part of Thanksgiving.
If you're thinking about coming to Detroit for it, I'd treat the whole day differently than a normal Lions game. Get here before Thanksgiving morning if you can. Stay somewhere that makes Ford Field easy. Figure out Thanksgiving dinner before you arrive. Then quit worrying about the logistics and enjoy being part of a Detroit tradition that's been going since 1934.
Tell me who's coming, where you're traveling from and how you want Thanksgiving to work around the game. I can help you look at the hotel, travel timing and the rest of the Detroit stay.
Start Planning My Thanksgiving Lions Trip →This is an independent fan-focused travel guide from Rob Sturdy Travels. It is not an official Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, NFL or Ford Field page. Game and travel information can change; verify current details before travel.