5 things to do this weekend, including Thanksgiving weekend at the ICA and 'The Nutcracker'

The holidays are officially upon us! For those looking for an extra way of commemorating Thanksgiving — before and after bites of pie and spoonfuls of cranberry sauce — they might raise money for a cause, running Salem’s “Wild Turkey Run,” or pay a visit to the ICA. Looking ahead to winter festivities, we’re noticing opportunities to buy delightful gifts at the SoWa Winter Festival, or enjoy performances of “The Nutcracker” and Handel’s “Messiah.” See all the ways of kicking off the season below.

Start Thanksgiving morning off with an exercise that’s bound to get your adrenaline pumping. At Salem’s Wild Turkey Run, now in its 22nd year, you’ll join one of the largest races on the North Shore, taking on a 5-mile test of endurance. The event, which starts at the Peabody Essex Museum, begins at 8 a.m., and the competition benefits the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem. Registration costs $35 if runners sign up in advance, and $40 on Thanksgiving Day. There are several other popular “Turkey Trots” in Greater Boston, including Somerville’s 29th Annual Gobble Gobble Gobble and the Franklin Park Coalition 13th Annual Turkey Trot 5K, both of which are currently sold out but welcome cheering from the sidelines

The ICA hosts a number of events this weekend, kicking it off with free live music on Friday and Saturday. While you sit in the museum’s wine and coffee bar, listen to the tunes of Tyson Jackson and Friends, who will share jazz rhythms and melodies. Thanksgiving is also a time to remember the Indigenous tribes who occupied the country before settlers arrived. On Saturday and Sunday, the ICA holds another free event, “Big Baby: A Story of Maushop,” where visitors will be invited to explore the world that artist Robert Peters fashioned as he reimagined the Wampanoag legend of Maushop. Attendees will be welcome to create art using clay and sculptural materials. Other exhibits, such as “An Indigenous Present,” celebrating 100 years of Indigenous contemporary art, remain on view for spectators to experience.

At the South End’s SoWa Power Station, enter a winter wonderland. The SoWa Winter Festival, a holiday market, will open this Friday, featuring over 125 local vendors, as well as specialty foods and cocktails. Shoppers will discover a variety of gifts, such as decoupage home goods from Biccara, bowls and dishes from Julo Pottery Co., and candles from Lifebloom. Delicious bites and sips will be available for purchase from Crepe Shop, Moyzilla, Big Little Pies, and Tilden Cocktails. Admission costs $10, and children 12 and under can enter for free.

Boston Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” an annual holiday treat, opens at Citizens Opera House this Friday, sharing the enchanting story of a girl’s imaginative journey through a dreamworld. Exquisite choreography comes from Boston Ballet’s artistic director Mikko Nissinen, and the traditional production’s music by composer Tchaikovsky has been preserved. Expect to see scenes from a lively party, gigantic mice, mesmerizing snowflakes and the transformation of a nutcracker doll into a real life prince. Tickets start at $40.

Join the Handel and Haydn Society at Symphony Hall to take in their annual performance of composer George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah,” now in its 172nd year. The choral work, an oratorio that follows a biblical narrative and is frequently performed during the Christmas season, will be directed by artistic director Jonathan Cohen and feature Grammy-nominated soprano Lauren Snouffer, hailed for her “lustrous tone.” Tickets start at $15, with a $7.50 handling fee.