South Dakota, Minnesota & Iowa Walmart Closed Thanksgiving Day

If you're looking for last-minute turkeys or cans of cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving morning, heading to your local Walmart store will not be an option this year.

For the fourth consecutive year, Walmart stores across the country will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. CEO John Furner of Walmart made the major announcement earlier this week. The national company even posted a tweet on X (formerly known as Twitter).

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In an article from USA Today, John Furner explains giving employees the day off on Thanksgiving allows them the opportunity to be with their families and loved ones.

This decision aligns with the company's commitment to prioritize its employees' and customers' well-being and safety since the COVID-19 pandemic. By giving its workers a much-needed break to spend time with loved ones, Walmart set an example for other retailers to follow.

Other stores that have recently closed on Thanksgiving Day include Target and Costco.

We can never thank retail workers enough for everything that they do, especially in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa! Of course, they deserve to spend time with their loved ones!

The lesson to learn from this article? Don't wait until the last minute to purchase your Thanksgiving Day feast! Keep in mind: Thanksgiving this year will be on Thursday, November 23rd. So at the time of this post, you have approximately 42 days until Thanksgiving. That should be plenty of time to grab a turkey, dinner rolls, some bottles of wine, and of course a pumpkin pie!

Dives Worth a Drive in South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota

Almost every small South Dakota town has a watering hole. It’s where the locals go to kick back a few brews and engage in conversation.

Some of these establishments are located in buildings almost as old as the town itself. There might be a fresh coat of paint on the walls or new vinyl on the booth seats, but the ambiance is still reminiscent of a good ol’ dive.

If you think a "dive" is all about the sketchy clientele, the smell of the Devil’s lettuce, and stale Grain Belt, you’d be wrong. Not every dive has a bad reputation.

What makes a dive, a dive?

A dive has character. Neon beer signs and local memorabilia adorn the walls.

You might find a pool table, dart board, and a few video lottery machines.

The bartender knows the regulars by name and they know what you drink.

Some dives don't even serve food except for bags of chips and pickled eggs that sit in a jar of brine on the bar.

Dives aren't fancy. You might see 70's-style wood panels on the walls and wobbly tables leveled with a folded napkin.

Finally, the bathrooms. The bathrooms in dives are in a class by themselves and could be a whole topic on its own.

There are several small-town dives in our area with friendly faces, cheap booze with a burn, and even really good food! We use the term "dive" in the most affectionate way.

Here are some of the best and why you should go there.

Gallery Credit: Karla Brown