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Thanksgiving Events in Fairfax 2026

Celebrate Thanksgiving 2026 in Fairfax 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 Fairfax.

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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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Invite your family to dinner

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Curated by the AllEvents team, for you

Top Thanksgiving events in Fairfax

All Thanksgiving events in Fairfax 2026

On now

Sat, Nov 14SALAZAR, Washington

Grateful & Gay: A Sapphic Chosen Family Affair

Gather with your chosen family—or come find more! Join us for a sapphic celebration of good food, drinks, connection, creativity, and dancin Grateful & Gay: A Sapphic Chosen Family Affair <strong

4:00 PM

$15.52 – $21.18

Sponsored
On now

Sat, Nov 14Twin Oaks Tavern Winery, Bluemont

Friendsgiving Guided Food and Wine Pairing

Three sommelier-led food & wine pairings to toast the season with friends Gather 'round for Friendsgiving at Twin Oaks! 🍁🍷 Before the holiday rush, join us for a

5:00 PM

$44.52 – $60.54Friendsgiving

Sun, Nov 15Pinstripes, North Bethesda

Friendsgiving

Join Wives & Wine for a Friendsgiving Girls’ Night Out at Pinstripes Bethesda! No hosting. No cooking. No cleaning up. Just wine, good food, good conversation and a room full of women who came to have a

4:00 PM

$23.18 – $33.85Friendsgiving

Mon, Nov 16Piece Out Del Ray, Alexandria

Friendsgiving Wine Dinner

Gather around our table for Friendsgiving! Enjoy Casey's favorite wines paired with specialty Thanksgiving inspired courses. Join us for a Friendsgiving celebration — hosted by our beloved manager, Casey, w

6:00 PM

$103.22Dinner & brunchFriendsgiving

Tue, Nov 17Mess Hall, Washington

Blue Ribbon Pie Baking Class

Spend an evening with the DC State Fair leaders assembling and baking your very own pie to take home Celebrate the holiday season and support the DC State Fair in a sweet way with a pie workshop led by Magg

6:00 PM

$98.10

Sponsored

Wed, Nov 18STFU Navy Yard, Washington

R&B in The Basement | Friendsgiving 2026

Join us at DC's number speakeasy, STFU in Navy Yard for a night of R&B classics, soulful gems , and unmatched. DJs and live music STFU is DC's best hidden secret! Join us but shhhh, don't tell anyone wh

7:00 PM

Free – $12.51FriendsgivingLive music

Nov 19–254924 Wyaconda Rd, Rockville7 days

Thanksgiving Give Back Week 2026

Help us provide Thanksgiving meals to thousands of families across our community. Every Thanksgiving, So What Else hosts a week of service and giving to ensure thousands of families have a nutritious holiday meal to share together. Location: So What Else

12:00 AM

Volunteer

Thu, Nov 19206 Nicholas Rd, Quantico

Quantico Single Marine Program (SMP): Thanksgiving Dinner

Join the Quantico SMP for a fun, festive Thanksgiving dinner with great food and awesome company! Quantico Single Marine Program (SMP): Thanksgiving Dinner Join us for a fun in-person Thanksgivi

11:00 AM

FreeDinner & brunch

Thu, Nov 19Alamo Drafthouse Cinema One Loudoun, Ashburn

Turkey Time: Thanksgiving Trivia | Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Loudoun

Five festive rounds of Thanksgiving movies, TV, football, food, parade magic and total turkey-day randomness! Grab your favorite turkeys and prepare to gobble up five full rounds of Thanksgi

7:00 PM

FreeParade

Sponsored

Fri, Nov 20Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church, Washington

Councilmember Felder's Thanksgiving Giveaway

Join Councilmember Felder for our Ward 7 Thanksgiving Giveaway! We are giving out gift cards for the holidays! Ward 7 residents can sign up to receive a gift card to help make their Thanksgiving meal specia

12:00 PM

Free

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 Fairfax

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 Fairfax: frequently asked questions

When are Thanksgiving events in Fairfax in 2026?

Thanksgiving events in Fairfax run from Nov 14 to Nov 29, 2026: 99 events.

What is on in Fairfax on Thanksgiving Day?

16 events are listed for Thursday, November 26, including 2026 Burke Lake Turkey Trot 5k/10k, 2026 Drumstick Turkey Trot 5k/8Miler at Gravelly Point and 2026 Georgetown Turkey Trot 5k & 10k.

Where can I have Thanksgiving dinner in Fairfax?

13 dinners, brunches and buffets are listed, including Friendsgiving Wine Dinner at Piece Out Del Ray, Quantico Single Marine Program (SMP): Thanksgiving Dinner and Thanksgiving Market: November 21 at Clarksville Commons. Tables go early for the holiday, so book ahead where you can.

Are there turkey trots in Fairfax?

Yes: 2026 Port City Turkey Trot 5k & 10k at Port City Brewing Company (Sat, Nov 21), 2026 DC Turkey Trot 5k/Half (Sun, Nov 22) and 2026 The District's Turkey Trot 5k/10k (Sun, Nov 22).

Where can I volunteer this Thanksgiving in Fairfax?

Receive Free Groceries at Grace Covenant Church of DC, 2026 DC Punk Rock Flea at Stephen & the Incarnation Episcopal Church and Ecstatic Dance Arlington | Gratitude Dance + Food Drive w/ Ghost Pipe | Nov 21 at Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, VA are looking for helping hands.

Are there free Thanksgiving events in Fairfax?

Yes: 36 of the 99 listed are free, including R&B in The Basement | Friendsgiving 2026 at STFU Navy Yard, Quantico Single Marine Program (SMP): Thanksgiving Dinner and Turkey Time: Thanksgiving Trivia | Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Loudoun at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema One Loudoun. Tickets for the rest run from $7.18 to $1,219.

What are the best Thanksgiving events in Fairfax?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are Washington D.C. Official Thanksgiving Eve Bar Crawl 2026 at City Tap House Penn Quarter (Nov 25–26), Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade (Sat, Nov 21) and The Dunn Foundation Annual Free Turkey Giveaway Drive-Thru at Iverson Mall (Sat, Nov 21).

Are there Thanksgiving events near Fairfax?

Yes: 2 more events are listed within reach, in Baltimore.

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.