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Thanksgiving Events in Ann Arbor 2026

Celebrate Thanksgiving 2026 in Ann Arbor with festive dinners, brunches, buffets, Turkey Trots, parades, family-friendly activities, Friendsgiving parties, holiday markets, volunteer opportunities, food drives, cruises, and seasonal events. Whether you're planning a traditional Thanksgiving feast or looking for unique things to do, discover the best Thanksgiving events happening in Ann Arbor.

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You’re warmly invited

to

ThanksgivingDinner

Date
Thursday, November 26
Time
4:00 PM

“Come hungry and bring your stories. There’s always room at our table.”

With love,Your name

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Curated by the AllEvents team, for you

Top Thanksgiving events in Ann Arbor

All Thanksgiving events in Ann Arbor 2026

Sun, Nov 15The Q, Detroit

The 11th Annual Pre Thanksgiving Comedy Show

Get ready to laugh your way into the holiday season at the 11thAnnual Pre Thanksgiving Comedy Show - the ultimate in-person comedy extravaga The 11th Annual Pre Thanksgiving Comedy Show</str

8:00 PM

$17.85 – $33.85

Sponsored

Tue, Nov 17Bamboo Royal Oak

Friendsgiving Lunch Party

Get ready to feast on delicious food, share laughs, and make unforgettable memories at our Friendsgiving Lunch Party! Join us for our annual Friendsgiving celebration, a festive gathering filled with

12:00 PM

FreeDinner & brunchFriendsgiving

Wed, Nov 18Canton Village Theater 50400 Cherry Hill Rd. Canton, MI

Classics And Cocktails: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

The Arts Warehouse is excited to partner with the Canton Village Theater to bring timeless cinema and craft cocktails together in Cherry Hill Village with the return of the Classics & Cocktails film series! On November 18, we are screening the John H

7:00 PM

Thu, Nov 19Bamboo Royal Oak

Friendsgiving: An Everything in 3 Culture Night

Friendsgiving with Everything in 3. DJs till midnight, free food, drinks & a local-artist marketplace. Nov 19, 9PM–12AM. 21+. Pull up! It's giving Friendsgiving, but make it Everything i

9:00 PM

FreeFriendsgivingLive music21+

Sponsored

Fri, Nov 2017155 Silver Pkwy, Fenton

🍁 Murder at Thanksgiving Dinner a Murder Mystery 🔍

Someone in the studio is a murderer… and everyone has a secret. 👀 Get ready for a one-of-a-kind Murder Mystery Paint & Sip experience at Painting with a Twist Fenton! Pick your character, uncover suspicious clues, investigate the evidence, and decide

6:00 PM

Dinner & brunch

Nov 20–21ALL THINGS BANQUET HALL 2, Detroit2 days

@JIZZLEBABY PRESENTS “50 SHADES OF BROWN” FRIENDSGIVING CABARET

PRE- THANKSGIVING PARTY. EVERYONES INVITED. “50 SHADES OF BROWN” IS THEME. WEAR ANY BROWN. FALL COLORS. COME HAVE FUN & ENJOY YOURSELF!! ALL THINGS BANQUET HALL 2 📍17609 LIVERNOIS DETROIT, MI 4822

8:00 PM

$28.52Friendsgiving

Sat, Nov 2115560 Joy Rd, Dearborn

Turkey Giveaway (Joy Road)

Join CNS Healthcare for our annual Turkey Giveaway. Date: November 21 Time: 10 a.m. Location: CNS Healthcare, 15560 Joy Road, Detroit, 48228 Important information: * Free turkeys will be distributed while supplies last * First come, first served * Adult

10:00 AM

Sat, Nov 21Dearborn, Michigan

Prayer Breakfast 2026

Join the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Michigan for our 34th Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Prayer Breakfast — a cherished tradition of prayer, fellowship, and gratitude as we prepare to enter the Thanksgiving season to

10:00 AM

Sponsored

Sat, Nov 21Culinary Studio LLC, Southfield

Holiday Pie Workshop: Fresh Apple Lattice Pie

Learn to make flaky pie dough, fresh apple filling, and a beautiful lattice-top apple pie from scratch—just in time for the holidays! Holiday Pie Workshop: Fresh Apple Lattice Pie <stron

3:30 PM

$76.54

Sat, Nov 21Sherwood Forest | Detroit Public Library

Thanksgiving Kids' Bingo!

Celebrate the holiday with bingo! Get ready to play some Bingo to celebrate a day of gratitude and spending time with loved ones! This program is perfect for children ages

4:00 PM

FreeFamily friendly

Thanksgiving table decor and hosting essentials

From the thermometer that saves the turkey to the tablecloth, the kids’ table and a hat for the Turkey Trot. Check delivery dates before you order.

Links go to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, AllEvents earns from qualifying purchases.

Thanksgiving events near Ann Arbor

Turkey trots, dinners and parades in the towns nearby

Since 1621

The history of Thanksgiving

It began with a harvest. In the autumn of 1621, the Plymouth colonists and their Wampanoag neighbours shared three days of food in a good year. Nobody called it Thanksgiving then. It took two more centuries, a determined editor and a president in the middle of a war to turn it into the day we know: a Thursday in November for family, food and being grateful.

Most of what fills the day now came later. The parade, the football, the morning Turkey Trot and the long table of sides were added by one generation after another, which is why every family’s Thanksgiving looks a little different.

  1. 1621After their first harvest, the Plymouth colonists hold three days of feasting. Massasoit arrives with about 90 Wampanoag men, who bring five deer.
  2. 1789George Washington proclaims the first national day of thanksgiving, for Thursday, 26 November.
  3. 1846–63Sarah Josepha Hale, the magazine editor who wrote “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, writes to five presidents asking for one national day.
  4. 1863In the middle of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln makes the last Thursday of November a national Thanksgiving. It has been kept every year since.
  5. 1896Buffalo runs its first YMCA Turkey Trot, now the oldest footrace held every year in North America — a year older than the Boston Marathon.
  6. 1924Macy’s holds its first parade in New York, with animals from the Central Park Zoo. The giant balloons arrive in 1927.
  7. 1934The Detroit Lions play on Thanksgiving for the first time, and football becomes part of the afternoon.
  8. 1939–41Franklin Roosevelt moves the day a week earlier to lengthen the shopping season. People call it “Franksgiving”, so Congress fixes it for good: the fourth Thursday of November.
  9. 1957Canada settles on the second Monday of October for its own Thanksgiving, which goes back to 1578.
  10. 1989George H. W. Bush gives the first formal presidential turkey pardon, now a White House tradition.

Thanksgiving in Ann Arbor: frequently asked questions

When are Thanksgiving events in Ann Arbor in 2026?

Thanksgiving events in Ann Arbor run from Nov 15 to Nov 29, 2026: 97 events.

What is on in Ann Arbor on Thanksgiving Day?

19 events are listed for Thursday, November 26, including March With Gardner White in the 100th Parade! at Woodward Avenue, Thanksgiving Family Fun Fest at The Majestic and 2026 Strategic Staffing Solutions Turkey Trot at Huntington Place.

Where can I have Thanksgiving dinner in Ann Arbor?

14 dinners, brunches and buffets are listed, including Friendsgiving Lunch Party at Bamboo Royal Oak, 🍁 Murder at Thanksgiving Dinner a Murder Mystery 🔍 and Dedicated to Downriver Thanksgiving Dinner at Miller Strawn VFW Post 9363. Tables go early for the holiday, so book ahead where you can.

Are there turkey trots in Ann Arbor?

Yes: 2026 Strategic Staffing Solutions Turkey Trot at Huntington Place (Thu, Nov 26), 2026 Ann Arbor Turkey Trot 5K & 1K at Ann Arbor, Michigan (Thu, Nov 26) and 2026 Fenton Turkey Trot (Thu, Nov 26).

Where can I volunteer this Thanksgiving in Ann Arbor?

Gobble Gobble Give Detroit 2026 is looking for helping hands.

Are there free Thanksgiving events in Ann Arbor?

Yes: 19 of the 97 listed are free, including Friendsgiving Lunch Party at Bamboo Royal Oak, Friendsgiving: An Everything in 3 Culture Night at Bamboo Royal Oak and Sat. Nov. 21 Downriver Thanksgiving Turkeys & Groceries, 10-11 AM at New Hope Assembly of God Parking Lot. Tickets for the rest run from $7.18 to $324.68.

What are the best Thanksgiving events in Ann Arbor?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are 2026 Strategic Staffing Solutions Turkey Trot at Huntington Place (Thu, Nov 26), Hob Nobble Gobble at Ford Field (Fri, Nov 20) and 2026 Ann Arbor Turkey Trot 5K & 1K at Ann Arbor, Michigan (Thu, Nov 26).

Are there Thanksgiving events near Ann Arbor?

Yes: 3 more events are listed within reach, in Toledo, Flint and Troy.

When is Thanksgiving 2026?

In the United States, Thursday, November 26, 2026 — always the fourth Thursday of November. Canada celebrates earlier, on Monday, October 12, the second Monday of October.

What is Friendsgiving?

A Thanksgiving meal shared with friends rather than family, usually on a day near the holiday. Many restaurants and bars host Friendsgiving dinners and parties, so you can skip the cooking.

Do I need to book Thanksgiving dinner in advance?

Yes, as early as you can. Restaurants serving a Thanksgiving menu often fill up a week or more ahead, and many offer a set menu at fixed seatings on the day.