Thanksgiving closings, community dinners

Post offices are closed Thursday. Mail will be delivered Friday as scheduled.

Banks will be closed Thursday but will be open at regular business hours Friday.

Grocery stores will be closed Thursday. They will reopen Friday with regular business hours.

Retail stores will be closed Thursday with many stores opening earlier and closing later on Friday for holiday shopping.

Brainerd and Baxter city offices are closed Thursday and Friday, as well as county offices.

The Brainerd Public Library is closed Thursday. Friday's hours will be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Area schools are closed Thursday and Friday.

Brainerd and Crow Wing Public Transit will not operate Thursday and will resume its normal service on Friday. More information may be obtained by calling the transit office at 828-6172.

Several community dinners are planned for Thanksgiving throughout the Brainerd lakes area:

The Brainerd Moose Lodge will have its annual Thanksgiving Dinner 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday. Home meal deliveries and rides to and from dinner will be available. Area churches will donate pies for the meal and anyone who would like to donate a pie can drop it off at the lodge Thursday. To arrange meal delivery or to help volunteer, call 829-4841. Reservations are requested but no one will be turned away. There is no charge for the meal. The Moose Lodge is at 219 S. Ninth St., Brainerd.

A free Thanksgiving dinner for Central Lakes College students in Brainerd who don't go home for the holiday will be 7 p.m. Thursday at First Congregational United Church of Christ on Juniper Street in Brainerd.

The Crosslake churches invite people to a community Thanksgiving dinner noon to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Crosslake American Legion. There will be a freewill offering. If meal delivery is desired, contact your church: Crossroads Assembly of God, (218) 692-4673; Crosslake Evangelical Free Church, (218) 692-4141; Crosslake Lutheran Church, (218) 692-3682; Crosslake Presbyterian Fellowship, (218) 692-4769; Immaculate Heart Church, (218) 692-3731; and Mission of the Cross Church, (218) 692-4228.

The annual Little Falls community Thanksgiving dinner will be 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the Little Falls High School, 1001 Fifth Ave. S.E., Little Falls. There is no charge for the meal. The dinner is open to the public.