AllEvents

AllEvents in your city

Popular cities

Thanksgiving Events in Aurora 2026

Celebrate Thanksgiving 2026 in Aurora 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 Aurora.

See all events

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

AllEvents

Invite your family to dinner

Fill it in, then send it.

Listings updated

Curated by the AllEvents team, for you

Top Thanksgiving events in Aurora

All Thanksgiving events in Aurora 2026

Tue, Nov 10The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Parker

Women’s Friendsgiving Feast

Women’s Friendsgiving Feast Come join us for some yummy food and socializing! Come as you are or bring a dessert to share.

6:30 PM

FreeDinner & brunchFriendsgiving

Thu, Nov 12Chipper's Lanes (Broomfield, CO)

Turkeys for Turkeys

Bowl 3 strikes in a row and win a $15 certificate towards your Thanksgiving Turkey! Redeemable at most supermarkets. Happening at ALL Chipper's Lanes locations from Thursday, November 12th all the way through Thursday, November 26th, Thanksgiving Day!

10:00 AM

Sat, Nov 14Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight, Meridian

Breakfast Fly-In: Food Drive

Help us give back to the community and start your Saturday with tasty food, aircraft and fill a real-life airplane with donations at our monthly Breakfast Fly-In! Celebrate our final fly-in of 2026 at this family-friendly event, featuring special activit

9:30 AM

VolunteerFamily friendly

Sat, Nov 1418101 E Vassar Pl

Vassar's 18th Annual Turkey Trot

Vassar families Please look out for the signup sheet for our 18th Annual “Turkey Trot”. This year’s Turkey Trot will be hosted on Saturday, November 14th at 10am. This is an opportunity to bring the community together for some exercise, free food and

10:00 AM

Turkey trot

Sat, Nov 14King Soopers (Arvada, CO)

4TH ANNUAL ARVADA vs. WESTMINSTER FIRE TURKEY GAGGLE

Presented by Sturgeon Electric & Climb Credit Union Benefiting Excalibur Outreach’s Operation Firebird ARVADA FIRE vs. WESTMINSTER FIRE Which department can collect the most frozen turkeys? The rivalry is BACK—and this year, we're ready to fill the

11:00 AM

Sat, Nov 145301 S Federal Cir, Littleton

Women’s Friendsgiving 🍂

Pull up a seat and join us for Women’s Friendsgiving at One Hope! This is an afternoon to slow down, share a meal, make new friends, and enjoy meaningful conversation around the table. Whether you’ve been part of One Hope for years or you’re brand new, y

11:00 AM

Friendsgiving

Sat, Nov 145800 E Evans Ave suite 202, Denver

Planks & Thanks

Pilates, pretty girls & a little gratitude! ✨ Join us Saturday, November 14th for PLANKS & THANKS! The cutest Friendsgiving-inspir Pilates, pretty girls & a little gratitude! 🤎🍂✨</p

11:30 AM

$28.52Friendsgiving

Sat, Nov 14celebrateME!, Denver

Thanksgiving Sugar Cookie Decorating

Sweet Treats & Thankful Feasts! Get your gobble on! About this class: Get creative at our Thanksgiving Cookie Decorating Class! In this beginner friendly workshop

12:00 PM

$65.87

Sat, Nov 1427945 Meadow Drive, Evergreen

Mountain of Thanks

The Evergreen Creative District is proud to announce it's Mountain of Thanks Festival! November 14th, 2026 from 12-4pm. A festival of creative giving, where everyone is creative and everyone can participate. We can't wait to share this experience with our

12:00 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 Aurora

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 Aurora: frequently asked questions

When are Thanksgiving events in Aurora in 2026?

Thanksgiving events in Aurora run from Oct 30 to Nov 29, 2026: 100 events.

What is on in Aurora on Thanksgiving Day?

18 events are listed for Thursday, November 26, including Turkey Brawl - Pickleball on Thanksgiving Morning, Thanksgiving Brunch and Turkey ROCK Trot at Douglas County Fairgrounds & Event Center.

Where can I have Thanksgiving dinner in Aurora?

12 dinners, brunches and buffets are listed, including Thanksgiving Feast for Dogs! Puppy Crumbs Bakery Pre-Order at Curate Centennial at Curate: A Local Mercantile, Women’s Friendsgiving Feast at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Thanksgiving Feast for Dogs 🦃🐾 | Puppy Crumbs Bakery Pre-Order at Curate Centennial at Curate: A Local Mercantile. Tables go early for the holiday, so book ahead where you can.

Are there turkey trots in Aurora?

Yes: Vassar's 18th Annual Turkey Trot (Sat, Nov 14), 42nd Annual Turkey Trot 5k Run & Walk Race (Sat, Nov 21) and TURKEY TREK - 2k 5k 10k & Half Marathon at Long Lake Regional Park (Sat, Nov 21).

Where can I volunteer this Thanksgiving in Aurora?

Breakfast Fly-In: Food Drive at Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight, Thanksgiving Food Drive- FREE DAY!!🧡🚗 and TURKEY TROT 5K (walk-jog-run) at prospect park wheat ridge (44th Ave and Robb St) are looking for helping hands.

Are there free Thanksgiving events in Aurora?

Yes: 22 of the 100 listed are free, including Women’s Friendsgiving Feast at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ACD Music Night Thanksgiving Special | A Night to Feel at Hope United Methodist Church and Centennial City Lifestyle November Friendsgiving Happy Hour at Sazón. Tickets for the rest run from $10.38 to $135.23.

What are the best Thanksgiving events in Aurora?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are AdventHealth Avista Louisville Turkey Trot at Downtown Louisville (Thu, Nov 26), Alpine Bank Boulder Thanksgiving Day 5K at Downtown Boulder (Thu, Nov 26) and Boulder Official Thanksgiving Eve Bar Crawl 2026 at Downtown Boulder (Nov 25–26).

Are there Thanksgiving events near Aurora?

Yes: 3 more events are listed within reach, in Colorado Springs and Black Forest.

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.