Happy Thanksgiving!

As promised, the Austin Monitor will be taking Thursday and Friday off to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. Joining us will be the Austin Independent School District (closed Wednesday through Friday) and several city facilities. All city of Austin administrative offices – including City Hall and the Business Solutions Center at One Texas Center – will be closed Thursday and Friday, as will city museums, nature center facilities, and recreation and cultural centers. The Austin Animal Center closes at 5 p.m. today and reopens at 11 a.m. Friday. Austin Public Library facilities close today as well, at 3 p.m., and won’t reopen until Saturday. The library-run Recycled Reads bookstore is closed only on Thanksgiving. Pickup of trash, recycling and yard trimmings will change only for those residents whose collection days fall on Thursday (pickup slides to Friday) and Friday (pickup slides to Saturday). The Recycle & Reuse Drop-Off Center will be closed on Thanksgiving but open and ready for business on Friday and Saturday. Some things will remain open on Thursday, including city golf courses (the city advises calling ahead for hours of operation) and Barton Springs Pool (no lifeguards will be on duty). For folks traveling around on Thanksgiving Day, beware of street closures downtown on Thursday morning during the Turkey Trot parade. More details about street closures and other facility closures is available here.