Hawthorne's First Thanksgiving Without Its Grocery Store: Where the Shopping List Goes Now

Where does a Hawthorne Thanksgiving dinner come from this year? For most of the town's history the answer ended at one parking lot. Hitchcock's Markets closed its Hawthorne store at the end of August after clearance sales, and Mainstreet Daily News reported on Sept. 23 that the building did not yet have a buyer. The same report says anyone in Hawthorne who doesn't shop at Dollar General now drives about 16 miles to Gainesville or Keystone Heights for groceries.

Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26. A holiday menu from one store used to be a single trip. This year it's a few smaller trips, and several of them happen only on certain days. A cook who knows those days in advance can pick up most of the meal close to home and save the 16-mile drive for staples.

Eight of the Ten Old Hitchcock's Stores Found New Owners

Hawthorne's gap is unusual among the chain's former stores. Hitchcock's, the Alachua-based family grocer, sold its North Central Florida stores in October 2025 after 80 years in business. A year later, most of those buildings have new owners. Mainstreet's status report lists them:

• Alachua: the former Hitchcock's headquarters store, bought by Winn-Dixie
• Keystone Heights: reopened as Winn-Dixie on Aug. 15
• Williston: reopened as Winn-Dixie in December 2025
• Newberry: became a Bravo Supermarket in fall 2025 and kept the Hitchcock's employees
• Indiantown: sold to New Jersey-based Key Foods
• Interlachen, Jasper and Trenton: bought by a family of regional Save A Lot owners

Two stores had no buyer when that report ran. One is East Palatka, which was the last location still operating under the Hitchcock's name. The other is Hawthorne. So the holiday shopping trips below follow from that unsold storefront.

The Two Supermarket Runs

Winn-Dixie, Keystone Heights. The nearest former Hitchcock's still selling groceries is at 7380 State Road 100, Unit 1, in Keystone Heights. Winn-Dixie opened it on Aug. 15 as one of three Hitchcock's stores it took over. The Florida Times-Union's coverage of the opening describes the chain's redesigned layout, which focuses on meal solutions, Hispanic foods and customer convenience. For a Hawthorne household, it's the store most like the old Hitchcock's: a full supermarket in a former Hitchcock's building, in another small town.

Walmart Supercenter, east Gainesville. Going west, the Gainesville NE 12th Ave Supercenter is at 1800 NE 12th Ave. and lists a 6 a.m. opening. An early start matters on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, when this trip is likely to be combined with the farmers market stops below.

One more change is coming in the area. Winn-Dixie told Mainstreet that its Melrose store will close and convert to an Aldi.

What Comes From Closer to Home

The meal's centerpiece and side dishes may not need the long drive. These farms and markets in and around Hawthorne already sell produce and meat, but each one runs on its own days.

Frog Song Organics, 4317 NE US Hwy 301, Hawthorne. This farm sells organic vegetables and pasture-raised meat online, along with artisanal goods and a weekly CSA. Orders can be delivered or picked up at the farm on Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays after 4 p.m. The farm says it is not open to the public during regular business hours, and visits are by appointment. That makes it an order-ahead stop. The farm's market and pickup page is the place to check its schedule for Thanksgiving week.

Brown's Farm, 18120 NE State Road 26, Hawthorne. Visit Gainesville's U-pick guide describes Brown's Farm as a roadside stop with seasonal vegetables and farm-fresh products, plus strawberry picking, which the guide lists as a January through April season. Visit Gainesville's farm guide notes that it is closed Sundays.

Waldo Farmers and Flea Market, 17805 US-301, Waldo. Visit Gainesville lists weekend hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The long Saturday and Sunday hours make it the easiest weekend stop to fit around other errands.

Alachua County Farmers Market, 13900 Tech City Circle, Alachua. This one is open Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon only. Whatever you plan to buy there has to happen on a Saturday morning.

Put together, the produce, the meat and some of the extras can come from within a short drive of downtown Hawthorne. The supermarket covers what's left, like flour, butter, canned goods and paper plates.

Thanksgiving Week Laid Out by Day

Several of these stops are open only on certain days, so a calendar is more useful than a list of stores. Here is the final stretch before Thanksgiving, using each place's regular published schedule:

Saturdays are when everything overlaps. Both markets and the Gainesville supermarket are open, so one loop can cover the Alachua market in the morning, Waldo on the way back and the staples. Nov. 21 is the last Saturday before the holiday. Wednesday, Nov. 25 is the latest local option, and it depends on having ordered from Frog Song in advance. Holiday weeks can change any business's hours, so check directly with each stop on your list before counting on it.

A sensible order is to place farm orders first, shop the markets on Saturday, and leave the supermarket for last, when the list is down to what nobody nearby sells.

Where the Store's Last Shelves Went

The Hawthorne store's last inventory stayed in town. Unsold food from the clearance went to the Hawthorne Area Resource Center's food pantry. At its Sept. 9 meeting, the City Commission recognized three Hitchcock's employees for making the donation and making sure none of the food was wasted.

In March, Mainstreet covered the groundbreaking for a 15,000-square-foot community resource center at 7642 SE US Highway 301, across from Tractor Supply. The plans put a food bank in about half of the building and employment, housing, financial and counseling services in the rest, replacing the nonprofit's house-based center. Before the holiday, neighbors can contact the resource center directly, whether they want to donate or need help with groceries for the season.

The holiday calendar continues past Thanksgiving. The Hawthorne Christmas Parade & Festival is set for Saturday, Dec. 5, downtown from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the parade at 2 p.m., according to its Fun 4 Gator Kids listing. After the parade, Santa and Mrs. Claus head to the Hawthorne Branch Library at 6640 SE 221 Street for photos and wish lists from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m.

If you own a home in Hawthorne and want to know how a change like the grocery closure fits into its value, Anson Properties is glad to talk it through with real local data. Start with a free home valuation whenever the timing is right for you.