The run sheet
The program log for Sunday. Times are Central. The drive is about 27 miles and 35 to 40 minutes in the dry; give the rain an extra 10.
Weather on the eights
National Weather Service for Florence, as of 3:24 PM Nov 7: Rain showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 63. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Gold boxes are packet pickup and the start.
Rain or shine, with one exception
The race runs rain or shine. If there is severe weather or lightning, the start may be delayed, and the race emails registrants. Check your inbox before you leave and again in the parking lot.
Live forecast: National Weather Service, Florence TX · Central Texas radar
The rain battle plan
The goal isn't staying dry. You won't. The goal is staying warm, not chafing, and having dry everything waiting in the car.
The garbage bag poncho
A trash bag with a hole for your head keeps you dry in the packet line and at the start. Pin your bib to your shirt, not the poncho. Toss it in a trash can at the start, or wear a clear poncho the whole way.
No cotton
Shorts or tights, a synthetic tee, and a light shell if you run cold. Cotton soaks up water and stays cold and heavy. The race shirt is cotton: it's your after shirt.
A cap with a brim
The single best rain item. It keeps water out of your eyes and off your glasses. Turkey hats are encouraged but optional.
Wet socks, done right
Synthetic or wool socks, never cotton. Double-knot your laces, because wet laces come loose. Your shoes will get soaked. Bring a second pair for the car.
Anti-chafe everywhere
Wet makes chafing much worse. Use it on feet, thighs, underarms, and anywhere a strap rubs. Do it at home.
Bag the phone
Zip-top bag for phones and car keys. Keep the wine glass and shirt in the car until after the run.
The 20-minute rule
Change within about 20 minutes. Towel off, dry socks first, then dry layers and a hoodie. Wet shoes and clothes go straight into a trash bag.
Protect the seats
Towel or trash bag on every seat. Plastic grocery bags for shoes. Crank the heat for the first five minutes of the drive.
Mud check
The course is paved, but parking, lawns and the walk to the start may be wet grass or mud. Strollers are allowed but not recommended because of uneven ground, and that's before the rain.
Getting there
About 27 miles, 35 to 40 minutes without rain. Two good ways in.
183A, US 183, FM 970
North on 183A (toll) to US 183, through Liberty Hill country, then right on FM 970 east about 8 miles into Florence. Through town on Main Street, which becomes FM 487 east. The winery is about 3.6 miles out.
Via Georgetown and SH 195
183A to FM 3405, Ronald Reagan Blvd north, RM 2338, CR 241, then SH 195 north to Florence and FM 487 east. Use it if FM 970 has trouble.
Orange line: main route. Gold pin: the winery (and lunch pick #1, Farmers Commons). Turkey pins: the other lunch picks.
Perky Beans drive-thru
2080 N US 183, Leander, open from 5 AM. Right on the route.
Fill up in Leander
There's little between Andice and Florence. Buddies Market in Florence (713 E Main) opens at 6 AM for snacks.
FM 487 in Florence
TxDOT has FM 487 in town (College Ave to the SH 195 bypass) scheduled for a rebuild from August 2026. Expect possible lane shifts on the last stretch.
Before you leave and before you drive home: ATXfloods (low-water crossings) and DriveTexas. Stay on the state and FM highways; don't let GPS reroute you onto county roads in the rain.
Turn around, don't drown
Central Texas roads can flood fast in heavy rain. If water is over the road, don't drive through it. Six inches of moving water can push a car. Take the backup route.
The race
The Vineyard at Florence Wine Run Turkey Trot 5K, Sunday, November 8, 2026, 11:00 AM. It's sold out, so no race-day sign-ups.
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Venue | The Vineyard at Florence, 111 Via Francesco, Florence TX 76527 |
| Packet pickup | Race day only, opens one hour before the start (10:00 AM) |
| Course | Paved, starts and finishes at the winery. A scenic tour, not built for PRs. Walking welcome |
| You get | Ring-spun cotton shirt, shatterproof collapsible wine glass, a finisher medal that's also a wine stopper, chip-timed bib, a wine pour (21+) |
| Kids | Ages 1 to 20 register at a discount (shirt, medal, bib, no glass or wine). Kids in strollers run free |
| Dogs | Allowed on the course if you pick up after them. Not inside the winery building |
| Awards | Top 3 men and women in each 10-year age group. Pins ready one hour after the first wave. No ceremony, race day only |
| Results | J3Timing.com |
| Weather | Rain or shine. Lightning or severe weather may delay the start; watch for an email |
| Charity | Yesterday's Gone, which supports women recovering from abuse and trauma |
The winery on a wet Sunday
The tasting room opens at noon on Sundays, after the start. Farmers Commons, the winery's restaurant, opens at 9 AM, so it's the likely indoor spot and restroom before the race. That's our guess; nothing published confirms it. Where packet pickup happens isn't posted either.
There's no posted place to change. Plan on restrooms or the car. Parking is free, but reviews call the lot rocky: expect puddles and mud.
Course map: MapMyRun route. Sources disagree on dogs, so leave them home.
Lunch for damp people
You'll be in dry clothes, but still a little soggy and a lot hungry. These are casual, sweatpants-welcome places, checked for Sunday hours.
Skip these: closed Sunday
Andice General Store (right on FM 970, but closed Sundays), Agape BBQ and La Fuente in Florence. Sailer's Place in Florence may have closed for good. Backup near home: Southside Market in Leander, Sun 10 AM-8 PM.
Farmers Commons
The restaurant at the winery. Brunch all day Sunday, comfort food, nobody drives wet. Rated 4.8 on OpenTable from about 1,000 reviews. The catch: the race is sold out, so a few hundred finishers want lunch at noon. Reserve on OpenTable tonight and ask for indoor seating. Pricier, about $31 to $50 a head.
Slot-T Beer Co.
Burgers, fish and chips and house beer in Old Town Liberty Hill. Indoor taproom plus a covered patio, so the damp crowd fits in. 4.6 on Google from 900+ reviews. Older listings call it Hell or High Water or Float the River: same place.
Smokey Mo's BBQ
Right on US 183 on the way home. Order at the counter, sit inside, be home in 8 minutes. Reviews are middling, so this is the quick, easy option, not a BBQ pilgrimage.
Dahlia Cafe
Chicken-fried steak and home cooking in a farmhouse. The big outdoor seating is no use in the rain, so indoor tables are tight. Join the online waitlist from the winery.
Monument Cafe
A big classic diner with pie. Sunday hours vary by site (8 PM on the official site, 3 PM on others), but lunch is covered either way. Expect a post-church wait; call ahead.
Hat Creek Burger Co.
Burgers, shakes and fries, order at the counter. No one will notice damp hair.
Florence Beer Market
Pizza, pasta and beer six minutes from the finish. Seating is limited, so it suits a small group better than the whole team.
Liberty Hill Beer Market
Covered picnic tables with heaters and Italian-style pub food. Good if the group is big and the kids need a playground. 4.5 on Google.
The packing list
Tap to check off. Your phone remembers.
Wear it
Rain kit
After bag (each person)
The car
Why turkeys? Why away?
On October 30, 1978, the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati aired its first-season episode "Turkeys Away." The station manager's big Thanksgiving promotion: drop live turkeys from a helicopter over a shopping center. It goes about as well as you'd expect, because turkeys can't really fly.
The bit was based on a real radio giveaway. Creator Hugh Wilson said it came from a live turkey promotion at Atlanta station WQXI. In 1997, TV Guide ranked it No. 40 on its list of the 100 greatest TV episodes.
Our version: nobody gets dropped, everybody gets wine, and the only thing falling from the sky is rain.
In 1978 the turkeys hit the ground. In 2026 the turkeys hit the pavement, at a jog, in ponchos.
Still to confirm
- Where packet pickup is at the winery. Not posted. Look for the tent, or ask at Farmers Commons.
- Restrooms and changing. We expect Farmers Commons (open from 9 AM) to have restrooms. Not confirmed.
- When the wine pour happens. The tasting room opens at noon, around when most of us finish.
- FM 487 construction. Scheduled from August 2026; we couldn't confirm work has started.
- Monument Cafe's Sunday close is 8 PM on its own site and 3 PM on others. Lunch is fine either way.
- Lightning delays. The race emails registrants. Overnight storms are forecast; daytime is showers.
- Drive times are routing estimates without traffic. Add 5 to 10 minutes for rain.
Sources
Checked Saturday, November 7, 2026.
- RunSignup: Vineyard at Florence Wine Run Turkey Trot 5K
- Wine Run 5K: race post
- Course map (MapMyRun)
- The Vineyard at Florence
- Farmers Commons
- Farmers Commons on OpenTable
- National Weather Service forecast, Florence TX
- Slot-T Beer Co.
- Smokey Mo's Liberty Hill
- Dahlia Cafe
- Monument Cafe
- Hat Creek Burger Co., Georgetown
- Florence Beer Market
- Southside Market, Leander
- Liberty Hill Beer Market (Community Impact)
- Perky Beans Coffee
- TDLR: FM 487 project, Florence
- 183A Toll status
- ATXfloods low-water crossings
- OSRM routing (drive times)
- Wikipedia: Turkeys Away
- WVXU: WKRP dropped turkeys in 1978
- MeTV: the real turkey giveaway behind the episode
