Moline’s Mercado to Host Mr. Thanksgiving Holiday Meal for 2nd Time
For just the second time, Mercado on Fifth in downtown Moline will host the 55th-annual Mr. Thanksgiving holiday dinner on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 27, 2025) from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 423 12th Street, Moline.
A beloved pillar of the community, Bob Vogelbaugh — Mr. Thanksgiving — shared his enthusiasm for the event:
“It truly warms my heart to see our community coming together like this. Knowing that we will keep sharing meals and friendship with those who need it most is incredibly uplifting,” he said. “The holidays should be filled with joy—and thanks to our amazing friends and volunteers, we are making that possible.”
Bob Vogelbaugh and supporter Emily Allen of Moline at Tuesday’s Mr. Thanksgiving press conference, Oct. 14, 2025 (photo by Jonathan Turner).
Vogelbaugh, 84, gathered Tuesday morning with supporter Emily Allen (who helps coordinate the event) and Mercado on Fifth executive director Frances Williams at the Mercado community center for a press conference announcing this year’s plans.
“There is something truly special about what we can do when we come together,” Allen said. “I really believe that, as a community, we have the power to make an even bigger difference for everyone involved. What Mr. Thanksgiving began is something worth carrying forward.”
Since 1971, Vogelbaugh—known affectionately as Mr. Thanksgiving—has welcomed everyone to a fully prepared Thanksgiving meal, providing warmth, nourishment, and a sense of belonging for thousands each holiday, according to the new event website, www.mrthanksgiving.com.
Bob Vogelbaugh (Mr. Thanksgiving) speaking at a press conference at Mercado Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025 (photo by Jonathan Turner).
What began as a small gesture at Bob’s grocery store in downtown Moline (a stone’s throw from Mercado) has grown into a beloved annual tradition, drawing together people from all walks of life to celebrate Thanksgiving as a community.
Over the years, the Mr. Thanksgiving Meal has expanded to serve thousands of people, with each gathering “embodying Bob’s heartfelt commitment to ensuring that no one is alone or without a meal on Thanksgiving Day,” the site says.
In 2024, the future of this cherished tradition was uncertain, but the community rallied to protect Bob’s vision. “Friends of Mr. Thanksgiving” mobilized with dedication and compassion, coming together to secure the meal’s future and preserve Vogelbaugh’s legacy. Their efforts have inspired the future formation of a nonprofit organization to formalize and sustain the Mr. Thanksgiving Meal for generations to come.
An exterior view of the Mercado on Fifth center, 423 12th St., Moline (photo by Jonathan Turner)
After years of being held at Moline’s SouthPark Mall, the free holiday meal moved to Mercado in 2024, after SouthPark “didn’t want to deal with it anymore,” Vogelbaugh said Tuesday. “They just thought it was too much and everything.”
Last year, the first time at Mercado served 1,900 meals, and the center can seat 150 people at a time.
“This is a great partnership at Mercado,” Allen said. “It’s a wonderful, colorful, centralized location…It’s the coolest event,” she said.
Vogelbaugh has worked as a crossing guard for Seton Catholic School in Moline the past 15 years, where he met Allen.
“I love those kids and I love the parents and grandparents,” he said. “They’re just fantastic.”
A scene from the first Thanksgiving community meal at Mercado on Fifth, Moline, in 2024.
Allen, a Seton parent, heard last year that Vogelbaugh was searching for a new Thanksgiving location. “We spoke with the city and they were very supportive of keeping it here in Moline and we went and toured the old Bethany building, because there was kitchen space, but the gathering space was a little small,” she said Tuesday.
They knocked on the doors at Mercado, with just three weeks to plan it last year.
“It came together really nicely, and what we’re trying to do now is, knowing it will still be here in 50 years, we are putting together documents to formalize the event, so that people can carry it on for years and years,” Allen said.
She is working with Vogelbaugh to form a 501c3 nonprofit organization, which will be eligible for grants in the future.
“It needs to be done so that when none of us are here anymore, it can still go on,” she said. “We would love that. We still are figuring out our strategic plan. We’re doing it the best we can.”
A scene from the first Thanksgiving community meal at Mercado on Fifth, Moline, in 2024.
Allen also would like to work with other metro areas to replicate its success.
“Emily is an amazing coordinator,” Mercado executive director Frances Williams said, also crediting Steve Ducey of R.I.A. Federal Credit Union for supplying financial resources. “I felt my job was the easiest,” providing the space, Williams said.
R.I.A. Federal Credit Union continues its generous support with a major donation to help cover food costs, reinforcing its commitment to community well-being. Hy-Vee will once again prepare, provide, and help serve meals on Thanksgiving Day, honoring its annual tradition of support.
To make giving even easier, R.I.A. Federal Credit Union has opened all seven of its area branch locations as drop-off points for cash donations. This initiative encourages community members to contribute and strengthens the spirit of generosity.
Mercado hosts a lot of private events — including birthdays, weddings, family reunions and quinceañeras, Williams said.
A scene from the first Thanksgiving community meal at Mercado on Fifth, Moline, in 2024.
“They can use the whole building, and the outside,” she said. “This is really a space that was built to bring community together, so I’m very happy we can partner this way and it just worked out, and we’re literally a few feet away from where Bob started it all, at his neighborhood grocery store.”
There may be some Latino food options served as part of this year’s Mercado meal, and Williams would like to get some local students involved in making decorations, such as placemats.
Last year, many attendees had never been to the 6,500-square-foot center, which can seat 150 people.
“I think a lot of people had never been to the building before, I heard a lot of those comments,” Williams said. “We’re still, even though next year Mercado will celebrate 10 years, I think we’re still having to educate people in what we do and what’s available. This is another great way to kind of bring more awareness.”
Mercado on Fifth fosters economic opportunity and cultural preservation by providing a platform for Hispanic entrepreneurs, artists, and small businesses in the Quad Cities. Through its open-air markets, seasonal celebrations, and year-round business development programs, Market empowers minority entrepreneurs with capital access, bilingual training, and cultural visibility.
As preparations ramp up, the community is encouraged to get involved. Monetary donations and volunteers are vital to the event’s success. Contributions and volunteer sign-ups can be made through the newly launched event website: https://www.mrthanksgiving.com.
“It’s a time, not just to share food, but friendship and joy. We are grateful for the support of R.I.A. Federal Credit Union and Hy-Vee for preparing and serving our meals,” Allen said. “As we prepare for this special day, we invite everyone to get involved.”
“Let us join together this Thanksgiving to celebrate the spirit of giving and community. Together we can ensure every member of our community feels valued and cared for this holiday season,” she said.
Bob Vogelbaugh (Mr. Thanksgiving) speaking at a press conference at Mercado Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025 (photo by Jonathan Turner).
“It’s a blessing for the Quad Cities, both sides of the river,” Vogelbaugh said. “Yes, we’re divided by a river, but on Thanksgiving Day, there’s no division here. The whole Quad Cities, both sides, it’s a wonderful place I’ve grown up in, a wonderful place I’m still living in.”
“I just hate seeing two or three people alone on Thanksgiving Day,” he said. “To me, that’s not Thanksgiving; the more people you have, the better it is.”
“It’s just fantastic that you’re bringing — and I don’t mean just me. It’s everybody involved, that’s helping here,” Vogelbaugh said. “You get so much out of it. You’re making these people’s day, so they don’t have to be alone.”
“How can you say thank you from more than the bottom of my heart,” he said. “And it’s both sides of the river, the whole community. There’s no river that day. A lot of people come from the Iowa side.”
“It is a very well-oiled machine,” Allen said of the event. “That is because for 50 plus years, Bob has built it. Putting in the event certainly requires coordination.”
Vogelbaugh never thought the event would go on for 55 years and grow to what it’s become.
“It’s been so rewarding, because you hear from across America,” he said. “It’s more than money can ever buy.”
Last year, there were about 100 volunteers, Allen said. People can sign up online and they won’t turn anyone away.
“The more, the merrier,” Vogelbaugh said. “A lot of people have become friends from this event, away from here.” He said it’s fantastic that volunteers take the time on their holiday to come out and help.
“Even if you don’t want to volunteer, just come down and see what’s going on and you’ll get a better feeling for what does go on down here,” Vogelbaugh said.
“You see the happiness it brings, bringing people together,” he added. “It’s getting people together, so they don’t have to spend the holiday alone.”
Last year, the City of Moline presented Vogelbaugh with a key to the city, an honorary street sign, and a proclamation declaring Nov. 28, 2024, as Bob Vogelbaugh Day, for his 50-plus years of service to the community.
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