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Thanksgiving Events in Appleton 2026

Celebrate Thanksgiving 2026 in Appleton 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 Appleton.

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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.”

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Top Thanksgiving events in Appleton

All Thanksgiving events in Appleton 2026

Tue, Nov 101005 E Main Street, Omro

Turkey Porch Leaner

Freehand your very own turkey face and choose from provided ribbons and accessories to adorn this adorable porch leaner - just in time for Thanksgiving! Chalk paint is available for the tophat to keep the words interchangeable. All ages welcome! Children

6:00 PM

Family friendly

Fri, Nov 13116 N. Broadway, De Pere

Holiday Open House

✨ Holiday Open House ✨ Join us Friday, November 13th for a festive day at Smith’s Mercantile! 🎄 Shop all things holiday and be among the first to see our holiday windows unveiled for the season! 🌟 Enjoy light bites, enter to win a holiday gift basket,

10:00 AM

Fri, Nov 131263 Main Street, Green Bay

Thanksgiving Social Dance

A fun social dance to bring the community together! Admission is $10/ person. Snacks and beverages are supplied. Bring a friend for some fun ballroom dancing!

7:00 PM

Sat, Nov 14Four Seasons Tennis Club, Green Bay

2026 Green Bay Moneyball Dinksgiving Tournament

🍂 It's getting chilly, let's gather and play some pickleball indoors. 🎊 Join us for the 2026 Green Bay Dinksgiving Pickleball Tournament on Saturday, November 14th, 2026 held at the 4 Season's Tennis Club in Green Bay, WI. ~ Bring your game faces and y

8:00 AM

Sat, Nov 142135 S. Koeller St., Oshkosh

1st Annual Turkey Shootout at X-Golf Oshkosh🦃

Our 1st Annual Turkey Shootout at X-Golf Oshkosh! Grab a partner and kick off our Winter Tournament Series with an 18-hole, 2-person scramble the Saturday before Thanksgiving. • Saturday, Nov 14 · Tee off 1:00 PM (check-in 12:30) • $75 per golfer ($150 p

1:00 PM

Sat, Nov 14105 Ice St, Menasha

Gather and Play

Spend the day connecting, playing, and creating together at our Gather & Play event! It’s the perfect way to bond during a month of gratitude by getting active and making memories as a family. FREE to attend! Just enter through the main entrance off

2:00 PM

Sat, Nov 14becket's, Oshkosh

Cranksgiving 2026

Time to spread the thankfulness!!! Come join the Bago Crew in a scavenger hunt/race to benefit the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry. Here's how it'll work: - No registration fee, just bring funds to buy items to donate to the Pantry - Bring a bag, pannier,

2:30 PM

Volunteer

Sat, Nov 14Oshkosh Food Co-op

FriendsInTheir40s+ 1st Annual Friendsgiving Celebration

Join your fellow FriendsInTheir40s Members as we come together to celebrate all there is to Friendship, Women, and Connection. Currently I am leaning towards having the meal catered so everyone would pay in advance, the same ticket price. I will ONLY be

3:00 PM

Friendsgiving

Sat, Nov 14Grace Lutheran Church Manitowoc

Friendsgiving for the Manitowoc Community

Time to gather and connect! Roots United, a local WELS young adult group, is hosting a free Friendsgiving dinner for the Manitowoc community. All are invited! Come as you are, and bring your friends. Friendsgiving will be held on November 14 starting at 5

5:30 PM

Dinner & brunchFriendsgiving

Sun, Nov 152701 N Oneida St

Pokécraft: Poké Cornucopia at Gnome Games Appleton North!

Join us at Gnome Games Appleton North for a fall-themed Pokécraft! This month, in celebration of Thanksgiving and the season of giving, we will be making a Poké-Cornucopia! Pokémon trainers will use cardstock, paper, and stencils to create a cornucopi

12:00 PM

Mon, Nov 16Rô Caphe, Kimberly

Network Nexus Friendsgiving

🦃🍂 NETWORK NEXUS FRIENDSGIVING! 🍂🦃 Let’s break bread, build relationships, and celebrate what we’re thankful for! Join us for the official Network Nexus relaunch at Ro Caphe on November 16! We’re doing dinner family-style, which means plenty of delicio

5:00 PM

Dinner & brunchFriendsgiving

Tue, Nov 171950 S. Ridge Road, Green Bay

Linked in Gratitude: Make & Take

📍Kohler Waters Spa at Lodge Kohler ⏱️5:30 PM 🎟️$150 Celebrate friendship and thankfulness with the perfect blend of wellness and style. Guests will enjoy spa amenities access, seasonal refreshments, and the opportunity to create a permanent jewelry piece

5:30 PM

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 Appleton

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 Appleton: frequently asked questions

When are Thanksgiving events in Appleton in 2026?

Thanksgiving events in Appleton run from Nov 10 to Nov 28, 2026: 88 events.

What is on in Appleton on Thanksgiving Day?

22 events are listed for Thursday, November 26, including Thanksgiving Day Mass at St. John Nepomucene Church, Festival Foods Turkey Trot - Appleton at Fox Cities Exhibition Center, West Lawrence Street, Appleton, WI and Festival Foods Turkey Trot - Fond du Lac at Fond du Lac High School, Campus Drive, Fond du Lac, WI.

Where can I have Thanksgiving dinner in Appleton?

12 dinners, brunches and buffets are listed, including Friendsgiving for the Manitowoc Community at Grace Lutheran Church Manitowoc, Network Nexus Friendsgiving at Rô Caphe and November W!ne Tasting. Tables go early for the holiday, so book ahead where you can.

Are there turkey trots in Appleton?

Yes: Festival Foods Turkey Trot - Appleton at Fox Cities Exhibition Center, West Lawrence Street, Appleton, WI (Thu, Nov 26), Festival Foods Turkey Trot - Fond du Lac at Fond du Lac High School, Campus Drive, Fond du Lac, WI (Thu, Nov 26) and Turkey Trot with Team Fusion! at Sunnyview Expo Center (Thu, Nov 26).

Where can I volunteer this Thanksgiving in Appleton?

Thanksgiving Dinner and Thanksgiving Character Roast in Support of The Oshkosh Community Fridge! at Time Community Theater are looking for helping hands.

Are there free Thanksgiving events in Appleton?

Yes: 1 of the 88 listed is free, including Thanksgiving Supper Club at University Union. Tickets for the rest run from $7.57 to $58.24.

What are the best Thanksgiving events in Appleton?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are Packers Thanksgiving Eve Party at Batley's! (Wed, Nov 25), me & CHEA and company at the Holiday Gift & Craft Show at The Resch Expo (Sat, Nov 28) and 17th Annual Bay Highlands Mash Dash - benefitting Freedom House Ministries (Thu, Nov 26).

Are there Thanksgiving events near Appleton?

Yes: 5 more events are listed within reach, in Suamico, Manitowoc, Plover and Green Bay.

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.