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Thanksgiving Events in Franklin 2026

Celebrate Thanksgiving 2026 in Franklin 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 Franklin.

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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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Curated by the AllEvents team, for you

Top Thanksgiving events in Franklin

All Thanksgiving events in Franklin 2026

Nov 13–15Nashville Superspeedway, Gladeville3 days

NASAville Thanksgiving Run - Championship Weekend

NASA returns to NASAville Superspeedway for our 3rd of 3 track day events in 2026 Friday Schedule: 7 am: Gates Open 7 am: Registration/Tech Opens 9 am - Noon: Test n' Tune/Qualifying/HPDE/Comp School Noon-1 pm: Lunch 1 pm - 5 pm: 4 Hour TREC Race 5 pm: T

9:00 AM

Sponsored

Fri, Nov 13The Franklin Theatre

November Timeless Tales - Children's Read Aloud

Join us at The Franklin Theatre (419 Main Street, Franklin, TN 37064) on Friday, November 13th at 9 AM for our next Timeless Tales adventure! We will be reading Thanksgiving at The Tappletons'. The whole Tappleton family is gathering for a big Thanksgivi

9:00 AM

Family friendly

Fri, Nov 13Meant To Eat Nutrition Counseling, Nashville

Thanksgiving Dress Rehearsal

Come enjoy a yummy holiday-inspired meal, practice normalizing and enjoying holiday foods, and connect with one another! Welcome to MTE's First Annual Dress Rehearsal Thanksgiving!! Once you arrive, e

6:00 PM

$37.15

Sat, Nov 14Midtown, Nashville

Retirement Service

St. Paul Primitive Baptist Church joyfully invites you to celebrate the Retirement Service Honoring Elder James Glenn Duke for 30 Years of Faithful Service!🙏🏽 We are grateful for Elder Duke’s years of dedication, spiritual leadership, and unwavering comm

2:00 AM

Sat, Nov 14Huntland Community Center, Hendersonville

Hometown Heroes Celebration and Community Thanksgiving BBQ Dinner

Update: � Check out those movie clues � (You know what to do! Drop those guesses in the comments! �) Redbuck's Mercantile This Saturday, November 14th, we hope to see everyone out there in their red, white, and blue! Hometown Heroes 5K and Memorial Walk

8:00 AM

Turkey trotDinner & brunch

Sponsored

Sat, Nov 142419 Bethlehem Loop Rd

Share the Feast

Meet in the Gym to help sort and pack food boxes. Before Thanksgiving, a turkey will be added to each box and go to neighbors in need.

8:00 AM

Dinner & brunch

Sat, Nov 14Bethlehem United Methodist Church

PCON Grant Partner Volunteering | Stronger Than My Father

Join Phoenix Club for a morning of giving back with the new class in the Stronger Than My Father weekend Mentorship Program. As a key grant partner whose 2024 grant helped make Stronger Than My Father’s wor

8:30 AM

FreeVolunteer

Nov 14–15900 Rosa L Parks Blvd, Nashville2 days

THE FALL MARKETPLACE EXPERIENCE & LOCAL BUSINESS FAIR

An in-person fall marketplace experience and local business fair. THE FALL MARKETPLACE EXPERIENCE & LOCAL BUSINESS FAIR Nashville, TN | Novemb

10:00 AM

FreeFamily friendly

Sat, Nov 142471 US-41, Greenbrier

Super Side Dish Day

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and Bryant’s Kitchen is cooking up something special! Join us Saturday, November 14th, from 10:00–4:00 for a delicious twist on our annual November sampling tradition! Come taste our homemade, Southern-inspired s

10:00 AM

Sat, Nov 14Factory at Columbia

Second Saturday Vendor Pop-Up

Join me this coming weekend for the Second Saturday event at The Factory in Columbia!!! This is my first time setting up at this event, so I'm hoping you will come out and show your support! I will have your favorite sourdough breads and sourdough cinnamo

10:00 AM

Sponsored

Sat, Nov 14Miracle Temple Church PCG, Madison

2026 TNPCG Fall Fellowship

Join us for our quarterly Fellowship with our District Presbyter Darrell Garrett. It will be an old fashioned thanksgiving theme. The meal will be pot luck old fashioned chicken dumplings. Venison prepared several ways. Squirrel and anything else we can c

11:00 AM

Sat, Nov 14Rolling Hills Community Center, Nashville

UrbanPromise Nashville's Global Thanksgiving Feast

Many stories. Many traditions. One shared table. This November, UPN is bringing together our refugee and immigrant neighbors and the wider Nashville community around one shared table. Together, we’ll

4:30 PM

Free – $12.51Dinner & brunchVolunteer

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.

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Thanksgiving events near Franklin

Turkey trots, dinners and parades in the towns nearby

Sponsored

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 Franklin: frequently asked questions

When are Thanksgiving events in Franklin in 2026?

Thanksgiving events in Franklin run from Nov 13 to Nov 28, 2026: 99 events.

What is on in Franklin on Thanksgiving Day?

18 events are listed for Thursday, November 26, including Thanksgiving Dining at Noelle, Nashville Turkey Trot at Wave Country Wave Pool and Annual Joint Thanksgiving Worship Service.

Where can I have Thanksgiving dinner in Franklin?

15 dinners, brunches and buffets are listed, including Hometown Heroes Celebration and Community Thanksgiving BBQ Dinner at Huntland Community Center, Share the Feast and UrbanPromise Nashville's Global Thanksgiving Feast at Rolling Hills Community Center. Tables go early for the holiday, so book ahead where you can.

Are there turkey trots in Franklin?

Yes: Hometown Heroes Celebration and Community Thanksgiving BBQ Dinner at Huntland Community Center (Sat, Nov 14), PUGSGIVING & Turkey Trot! at Hendersonville Dog Park (Sun, Nov 22) and Nashville Turkey Trot at Wave Country Wave Pool (Thu, Nov 26).

Where can I volunteer this Thanksgiving in Franklin?

PCON Grant Partner Volunteering | Stronger Than My Father at Bethlehem United Methodist Church and Giving Thanks by Giving 2026 are looking for helping hands.

Are there free Thanksgiving events in Franklin?

Yes: 13 of the 99 listed are free, including PCON Grant Partner Volunteering | Stronger Than My Father at Bethlehem United Methodist Church, THE FALL MARKETPLACE EXPERIENCE & LOCAL BUSINESS FAIR and UrbanPromise Nashville's Global Thanksgiving Feast at Rolling Hills Community Center. Tickets for the rest run from $7.18 to $116.80.

What are the best Thanksgiving events in Franklin?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are Music City Turkey Trot at Nissan Stadium Nashville, TN (Thu, Nov 26), Nashville Official Thanksgiving Eve Bar Crawl 2026 at Live Oak (Nov 25–26) and Thanksgiving Eve Happy Hour Industry Night at Play Playground (Wed, Nov 25).

Are there Thanksgiving events near Franklin?

Yes: 4 more events are listed within reach, in Tullahoma, Nashville and Clarksville.

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.