Seasonal & Holidays
What's Open, Closed On Thanksgiving 2018 In RI?
Many of the pharmacies and gas stations may be open, but the big grocery stores and department stores are closed per the state's Blue Laws.
COVENTRY, RI — You've been driving to make it home for Thanksgiving dinner. You pull into a Dunkin' or McDonalds to grab a quick iced coffee. And then you see the little sign.
The employees are spending the day at home with their families. Happy Thanksgiving. And that's a good thing, too.
But even worse, you were supposed to bring a pie and thought you'd pick one up on the way. Now, you're driving through a ghost town where not a single store looks open.
Find out what's happening in Narragansett-South Kingstownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Don't fret, you're not alone. Few things seem to unify Americans these days, but one of them is that overwhelming feeling of dread when you realize you need something at the store on Thanksgiving. In much of the country, many grocery stores remain open on "Turkey Day," at least for a little while.
But in Rhode Island, the state's so-called Blue Laws stop larger retail stores from opening on the holiday. We're one of three, joining Maine and Massachusetts as the other two holdouts.
Find out what's happening in Narragansett-South Kingstownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Blue Laws control which stores can legally operate on Sundays and legal holidays. Most gas stations, restaurants are pharmacies are allowed to open. In a pinch, you can hit the CVS or a Walgreens and pick up a frozen entree, a jar of gravy or some dressing. But not all the stores that can open actually do open, of course. In the Newport area, the Middletown CVS, which stays open 24 hours, is open on Thanksgiving, but one of the Newport CVS locations is closed.
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Below is an updated list of grocery stores (or stores that have food sold in them) that are open and closed on the holiday. Know of a grocery store that is open on Thanksgiving in Rhode Island? margo.sullivan@patch.com and let us know.
Stores That Will Open On Thanksgiving
Cumberland Farms: Some stores open regular hours
CVS: Most stores open regular hours
Rite Aid: Most stores open regular hours
Walgreen's: Stores open regular hours
Stores That Will Close On Thanksgiving
Aldi
BJ's Wholesale Club
Costco
Sam's Club
Shaw's
Stop & Shop
Target
Trader Joe's
Walmart
Whole Foods
Charlene Arsenault, Patch Staff and Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.
Image via Shutterstock
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