AllEvents

AllEvents in your city

Popular cities

Thanksgiving Events in Chicago 2026

Celebrate Thanksgiving 2026 in Chicago 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 Chicago.

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 Chicago

All Thanksgiving events in Chicago 2026

On now

Nov 10–24Fathom15 days

Seasoned Tuesdays with Taylor's Tacos at Fathom!

For three Tuesdays this November Taylor's Tacos takes over Fathom with event offerings supporting their food pop up in Lakeview. Taylor's Tacos is giving you three reasons to leave the hous

5:00 PM

Free

Thu, Nov 12Sidetrack The Video Bar

Groceryland 🛒17th Annual Turkey Trot Thanksgiving Fundraiser

Angelique Munro’s 17th Annual Turkey Trot Thanksgiving Fundraiser for Groceryland A food pantry for low income people living with HIV/AIDS Please join us for an evening of community, creativity, music, and gratitude as we give thanks and give back by ma

6:00 PM

Turkey trotVolunteer

Nov 13–15Don't Forget The Gobbler Before The Gathering!, Oak3 days

Don't Forget The Gobbler Before The Gathering

Get your gobbler game on and gear up for the ultimate pre-gathering feast! BOSCO’S MARKETPLACE PRESENTS: DON’T FORGET THE GOBBLER BEFORE THE GATHERING! OAK FOREST FALL EVENT 2026 Befor

4:00 PM

FreeDinner & brunch

Nov 13–14Music Box Theatre2 days

Screenings of THE ADDAMS FAMILY and ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES

YOU RANG...? November 13 & 14, gather with the spooky side of your chosen family as we set holiday traditions ablaze with creepy, kooky, and altogether ooky late-nite screenings of THE ADDAMS FAMILY (1991) and ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES (1993)! Co-presented

11:30 PM

Sat, Nov 146600 Broadway, Merrillville

Thanksgiving Tour 2026 - Merrillville

Thanksgiving is about gathering around the table, and Lerner & Rowe and Lerner & Rowe Gives Back are hitting the road to help 6,000 families do exactly that. 🦃 Our 2026 Thanksgiving Tour makes 7 stops across Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and India

9:00 AM

Sat, Nov 14DEAN AND BARBARA WHITE COMMUNITY CENTER, Broadway, Merrillville, IN, USA

CHICAGO - Thanksgiving Kits

Lerner & Rowe Gives Back, the nonprofit arm of Lerner & Rowe Injury Attorneys, will be hosting its annual tradition: Thanksgiving giveaways in cities nationwide. The nonprofit will provide 6,000 free Thanksgiving meals at events in Albuquerque,

9:00 AM

Free

Sat, Nov 14Global Brew Tap House, Schaumburg

Aura Matchmaking Event | Age Group 21 to 40

Join us for the Aura Matchmaking Event, where singles 21-40 connect and vibe in person! Welcome to Aura Matchmaking! As we wrap up an incredible year of connection, Aura Matchmaking

2:00 PM

$28.52 – $81.86

Sat, Nov 14The Wine Goddess, Evanston

4:30-6:00 PM Session: Thanksgiving Mega-Tasting

Join us for a walk-around tasting of our fave, Thanksgiving-centric and Fall-themed wines! The Thanksgiving Mega-Tasting is our biggest tasting event of the year!! Four tables, five wines a piece, featurin

4:30 PM

$44.52

Sat, Nov 14450 W. Menomonee st.

Parents Night Out

🍂 Parents' Night Out: Thanksgiving Bake-Off at Little Learners Academy! Need a date night or a few hours to yourself before the holiday craziness begins? Let us take the kiddos off your hands! Join us on Saturday, November 14, from 5:00–8:00 PM for our

5:00 PM

Sun, Nov 15Stockyards Industrial Park

2026 Back of the Yards 5K Run

Join Us for the Annual Back of the Yards 5K Turkey Run/Walk! Celebrate community, health, and tradition with the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council at our annual 5K Turkey Run/Walk! Starting Point: Historic Union Stockyards Gate (41st Street & H

8:00 AM

Turkey trot

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 Chicago

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 Chicago: frequently asked questions

When are Thanksgiving events in Chicago in 2026?

Thanksgiving events in Chicago run from Nov 10 to Nov 28, 2026: 100 events.

What is on in Chicago on Thanksgiving Day?

22 events are listed for Thursday, November 26, including St. Charles Turkey Trot at St. Charles North High School, 32nd Annual Village of Gurnee Jon Callaghan Memorial Turkey Trot and 92nd Chicago Thanksgiving Parade at State Street (Downtown Chicago).

Where can I have Thanksgiving dinner in Chicago?

19 dinners, brunches and buffets are listed, including Don't Forget The Gobbler Before The Gathering at Don't Forget The Gobbler Before The Gathering!, JoJo’s Feast Mode: A Friendsgiving Celebration & Celebrity Chef Showdown at Rockwell on the River and Friendsgiving Float-In at Trump International Hotel & Tower® Chicago. Tables go early for the holiday, so book ahead where you can.

Are there turkey trots in Chicago?

Yes: Groceryland 🛒17th Annual Turkey Trot Thanksgiving Fundraiser at Sidetrack The Video Bar (Thu, Nov 12), 2026 Back of the Yards 5K Run at Stockyards Industrial Park (Sun, Nov 15) and 600 West - Turkey Trot (Thu, Nov 19).

Where can I volunteer this Thanksgiving in Chicago?

Insight Chicago Annual Turkey Drive and 24th Annual Thanksgiving Day Community Outreach are looking for helping hands.

Are there free Thanksgiving events in Chicago?

Yes: 24 of the 100 listed are free, including Seasoned Tuesdays with Taylor's Tacos at Fathom!, Don't Forget The Gobbler Before The Gathering at Don't Forget The Gobbler Before The Gathering! and CHICAGO - Thanksgiving Kits at DEAN AND BARBARA WHITE COMMUNITY CENTER, Broadway, Merrillville, IN, USA. Tickets for the rest run from $7.18 to $538.66.

What are the best Thanksgiving events in Chicago?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are 92nd Chicago Thanksgiving Parade at State Street (Downtown Chicago) (Thu, Nov 26), Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade at Downtown Chicago (Thu, Nov 26) and JoJo’s Feast Mode: A Friendsgiving Celebration & Celebrity Chef Showdown at Rockwell on the River (Tue, Nov 17).

Are there Thanksgiving events near Chicago?

Yes: 1 more event is listed within reach, in Valparaiso.

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.