Thu, Nov 2611:00 AM
Thanksgiving Celebration
Swinomish Casino
Thanksgiving Events in Bellingham 2026
Celebrate Thanksgiving 2026 in Bellingham 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 Bellingham.
Listings updated
Curated by the AllEvents team, for you
Top Thanksgiving events in Bellingham
All Thanksgiving events in Bellingham 2026
Sat, Nov 14Walmart Oak Harbor
Queen-Bee Pantry Gather to Give Food Drive, Neighbors feeding neighbors
This Thanksgiving, Queen-Bee Pantry is coming together with our community to help local families in need enjoy a warm and complete Thanksgiving meal. ❤️ We will be at Walmart, 1250 SW Erie Street, Oak Harbor, on: 📅 November 14, 2026 ⏰ 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Volunteer
Tue, Nov 17Campus Center
Friendsgiving with ASBTC
Tis the season to give thanks! Join us and bring a friend to celebrate Friendsgiving. There will be food, games, and movie.
FreeFriendsgiving
Sat, Nov 212731 Meridian St
Giving Thanks to our Local Community!
We want to give our local community our sincerest thanks for all of the support you’ve given us. As a token of our appreciation, please join us for a warm slice of pumpkin pie, say hello, and browse exclusive deals on new and refurbished vacuums! 🍂 Whethe
Sat, Nov 211733 H St, Blaine
CWCC Fall Pop-up Craft Fair and Bake Sale!
We're having a Pop-up Fall Craft Fair and Bake Sale, just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas! Find unique gifts and treasures, hand made blessings, Christmas decorations and delicious baked goods for your Thanksgiving dinner! We'll have a hot dog sta
Dinner & brunchMarket
Mon, Nov 232750 McLeod Rd
Friendsgiving Dinner Church
It’s TIME! For our annual Friendsgiving Feast! Echoes provides the SALMON main dish and you provides the sides, desserts, drinks and dishes that will help make a tasty friendsgiving! Every year before thanksgiving, we gather celebrate the local bounty,
Dinner & brunchFriendsgiving
Thu, Nov 267213 267th St NW, Stanwood
Burn The Bird
The YMCA will be open to the community Thursday, November 26 for a special Thanksgiving Day workout. Bring your friends and family! Doors open at 7:55 am. We will be collecting non-perishable food donations. Below is our schedule of classes. Each class i
VolunteerFamily friendly
Thu, Nov 261140 10th Street Suite 101
Honoring Lhaq'temish: Thanksgiving Day Donation Class
This Thanksgiving, we are honored to welcome Lawrence Solomon and Denise Solomon of the Lummi Nation for a special community gathering rooted in gratitude, connection and giving back. We invite you to join us for this special donation class as we come to
Volunteer
Thu, Nov 26Evelyn's Tavern, Clear Lake
Thanksgiving Potluck
Evelyn's Tavern will be hosting our Annual Thanksgiving potluck again this year. We will supply Turkey, stuffing,Mashed Potatoes and gravy. We will open at 11 AM bring your favorite side and enjoy friends, fun, football. Please stop in and sign up for a s
Thu, Nov 261 Bellwether Way
Thanksgiving Buffet Experience
Celebrate Thanksgiving with an unforgettable waterfront feast at Hotel Bellwether’s Lighthouse Bar & Grill on Friday, November 26, 2026, from 12 PM to 7 PM! Executive Chef Omar Anzaldua and the culinary team have prepared a generous holiday buffet fe
Dinner & brunch
Thu, Nov 262026 Main Street, Ferndale
Thanksgiving Buffet at Leader Block
Give thanks, pass the wine, and let us take care of the rest 🥂🍂 Whether you’re dining with family or hosting visiting friends, make this Thanksgiving effortless and memorable. Join us for a cozy, festive evening at Leader Block Trattoria & Bar! 📞
Dinner & brunch
Thu, Nov 2614245 McFarland Rd, La Conner
Thanksgiving Dinner
NOWHERE TO GO FOR THANKSGIVING? JOIN OUR SONRISE FAMILY! Thanksgiving is better together! If you don't have plans, want double plans or don't want to spend the holiday alone, we'd love to have you at our table! We're hosting a Family Feast-style Thank
Dinner & brunch
Thu, Nov 26112 Haven RD / PO Box 1286, Eastsound
Community Thanksgiving Potluck
Everyone is welcome to the Community Thanksgiving Potluck at Odd Fellows Hall! Join friends, neighbors, and visitors for a community Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, November 26. Doors open at 4:00 PM, with dinner beginning at 4:30 PM. Turkey will be pr
Dinner & brunch
Thu, Nov 26Cloverdale, Surrey
Ladies Night
Ladies might is being planned, thursday November 26th from 5-9pm in downtown Cloverdale. Fun night, shop local, support community
Nov 27–28Whidbey Island Crafter's Market, Oak Harbor2 days
Merry Make & Take Ornament Painting
Merry Make & Take: Ornament Painting 🎨🖌️ 🎄Fri. Nov. 27 - 11am - 6pm 🎅🏼Sat. Nov. 28 - 11am - 3pm (Grab & Go avail till 6pm) Whidbey Island Crafter's Market $8 per ornament The perfect post-Thanksgiving plan: get the family out of the house and s
Market
Sat, Nov 282509 Cedarwood Ave
Community Means We Collage: A Free, Collaborative "Thank You" Project
Community Means We Collage: A Free, Collaborative "Thank You" Project How do we say a giant, meaningful thank-you to the local heroes - the volunteer firefighters in Whatcom County, who lay down their lives to train and to serve to protect us every day?
Volunteer
Sat, Nov 28Bloedel Donovan Park
Vegan ThanksLiving Potluck
We’re celebrating Thanksgiving the vegan way! Bring a dish to share, meet others in the community, and enjoy a feast that’s delicious, compassionate, and cruelty-free. Location- BLOEDEL DONOVAN PARK (SMALL LAKESIDE PAVILION) Please bring serving utensil
Dinner & brunch
Sat, Nov 28Docking Bay 93, Mount Vernon
Social Gathering November 2026
After the joys of Thanksgiving/Black Friday we have a chance to gather and form some new memories. Activities will be decided at the time and we follow majority rule. In the past we've had bowling, board games, movie watching or just grabbing a bite to ea
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.
- Host
Instant-read thermometerThe one tool between a dry bird and a juicy oneShop on Amazon - Host
Roasting pan with rackLifts the turkey so it browns all overShop on Amazon - Host
Food warming matEvery side still warm when the last guest sitsShop on Amazon - Guest
Casserole carrierFor the dish you promised to bring, 9×13Shop on Amazon - Table
Thanksgiving tableclothAutumn leaves for the long tableShop on Amazon - Table
Cheesecloth table runnerSoft and gathered, this year’s table lookShop on Amazon - Table
Gratitude conversation cardsSomething to talk about besides the gameShop on Amazon - Kids
Coloring tableclothKeeps the kids’ table busy till pieShop on Amazon - Friendsgiving
Plates and napkins setFor Friendsgiving, and no washing upShop on Amazon - Run
Turkey hatRun the Turkey Trot dressed for dinnerShop on Amazon
Thanksgiving events near Bellingham
Turkey trots, dinners and parades in the towns nearby
Wed, Nov 25New Everett Theater
Thanksgiving Eve Comedy w/ Nick Thune in Everett
$25.58 – $117.54Family friendly
Sat, Nov 28204 1st St, Langley
Duende Libre Quintet
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.
- 1621After their first harvest, the Plymouth colonists hold three days of feasting. Massasoit arrives with about 90 Wampanoag men, who bring five deer.
- 1789George Washington proclaims the first national day of thanksgiving, for Thursday, 26 November.
- 1846–63Sarah Josepha Hale, the magazine editor who wrote “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, writes to five presidents asking for one national day.
- 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.
- 1896Buffalo runs its first YMCA Turkey Trot, now the oldest footrace held every year in North America — a year older than the Boston Marathon.
- 1924Macy’s holds its first parade in New York, with animals from the Central Park Zoo. The giant balloons arrive in 1927.
- 1934The Detroit Lions play on Thanksgiving for the first time, and football becomes part of the afternoon.
- 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.
- 1957Canada settles on the second Monday of October for its own Thanksgiving, which goes back to 1578.
- 1989George H. W. Bush gives the first formal presidential turkey pardon, now a White House tradition.
Thanksgiving in Bellingham: frequently asked questions
When are Thanksgiving events in Bellingham in 2026?
Thanksgiving events in Bellingham run from Nov 14 to Nov 28, 2026: 20 events.
What is on in Bellingham on Thanksgiving Day?
11 events are listed for Thursday, November 26, including Annual Thanksgiving Morning Run at Skagit Running Company, Burn The Bird and Honoring Lhaq'temish: Thanksgiving Day Donation Class.
Where can I have Thanksgiving dinner in Bellingham?
9 dinners, brunches and buffets are listed, including CWCC Fall Pop-up Craft Fair and Bake Sale!, Friendsgiving Dinner Church and Thanksgiving Celebration at Swinomish Casino. Tables go early for the holiday, so book ahead where you can.
Where can I volunteer this Thanksgiving in Bellingham?
Queen-Bee Pantry Gather to Give Food Drive, Neighbors feeding neighbors at Walmart Oak Harbor, Honoring Lhaq'temish: Thanksgiving Day Donation Class and Community Means We Collage: A Free, Collaborative "Thank You" Project are looking for helping hands.
Are there free Thanksgiving events in Bellingham?
Yes: 1 of the 20 listed is free, including Friendsgiving with ASBTC at Campus Center.
What are the best Thanksgiving events in Bellingham?
The most popular on AllEvents right now are Thanksgiving Celebration at Swinomish Casino (Thu, Nov 26), Thanksgiving Dinner at Blue Heron Bistro at Blue Heron Bistro Lopez (Thu, Nov 26) and Annual Thanksgiving Morning Run at Skagit Running Company (Thu, Nov 26).
Are there Thanksgiving events near Bellingham?
Yes: 7 more events are listed within reach, in Snohomish, Everett, Mukilteo and Marysville and more.
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.