AllEvents

AllEvents in your city

Popular cities

Thanksgiving Events in Ithaca 2026

Celebrate Thanksgiving 2026 in Ithaca 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 Ithaca.

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 Ithaca

All Thanksgiving events in Ithaca 2026

Fri, Nov 133526 Franklin St, Auburn

🦃 Sennett Fire Department 41st Annual Turkey Raffle 🦃

Join us Friday, November 13, 2026 at 6:30 PM for one of our favorite nights of the year! 🦃 Turkey Raffles 🎁 Door Prizes 🍽️ FREE Food & Beverages 🚒 Fun with friends, neighbors & your local volunteer firefighters! Sennett Fire Department – Compan

6:30 PM

Volunteer

Sat, Nov 14Nichols American Legion Post 1624

2026 Turkey Party

5 PM - 9 PM $12.00 Includes Hot Turkey Sandwich, with corn and gravy Raffles, Games of Chance, Pie Table

6:00 PM

Sun, Nov 15Endicott, New York

Private Thanksgiving Cookie Class

🦃🍂 PRIVATE THANKSGIVING COOKIE CLASS! 🍂🦃 I’m SO excited to announce a special private Thanksgiving cookie class on Sunday, November 15th! 🤎 We’ll be decorating a fun Thanksgiving-themed set together, and I’ll walk you through everything step-by-step! ✨

11:00 AM

Sun, Nov 15First Presbyterian Church of Seneca Falls

Friends-Giving Potluck

Friends-Giving Potluck! Come and share a meal! Please RSVP! Need this for planning purposes. Donation accepted, but not necessary!

4:00 PM

Volunteer

Nov 16–20Walmart Vestal5 days

Thanks-4-Giving Turkey Drive

Please join us as we collect turkeys and non-perishables for more than 2,000 families in Broome County. We will be there Monday 11/16 through Friday 11/20 from 8am-6pm outside the Walmart in Vestal. Stop by, say hi, and help others enjoy a warm holida

8:00 AM

Mon, Nov 16Latitude 42 Taphouse, Horseheads

Ladies Craft Night Out at Latitude 42 Taphouse

I am so excited to share my new event with all of you! Join me at Latitude 42 Taphouse on November 16th. Register by November 1st with payment. Complete those Christmas cards before Thanksgiving!

5:00 PM

Wed, Nov 1832 Water Street, Dundee

Story Time & Craft: Turkey Faces

Join us for our monthly Story Time and Craft program! We'll gather for a Thanksgiving-themed story before getting creative with a seasonal craft. This month, we'll give old CDs a new purpose by transforming them into colorful turkey decorations. It's a fu

5:00 PM

Nov 18 – Feb 3150 Victory Highway, Painted Post78 days

MomCo Meet up

It's FriendsGiving! come enjoy an evening of conversation, snacks and laughs. Bring a dish to share.

6:00 PM

Friendsgiving

Thu, Nov 1918 Elizabeth St, Waverly

Thanksgiving Storytime

Ms. Meaghann will read stories about Thanksgiving! We will sing songs, dance with scarves, and make a craft! All are welcome!

10:30 AM

Thu, Nov 19Tinkers Guild, Auburn

Auburn GPO Friendsgiving

Please join us for our annual Friendsgiving event. Please bring a dish to pass to go along with turkey. Drinks on your own.

5:30 PM

Friendsgiving

Thu, Nov 19120 South Main Street, Horseheads

Kids paint friendly paint, and trivia

Come join us for Paint and Trivia! This fun filled night is only $3 and everyone leaves with your amazing painting that we will walk you through step-by-step and a prize from trivia. Trivia will be about fall and Thanksgiving! We will supply everything yo

6:00 PM

Family friendly

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 Ithaca

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 Ithaca: frequently asked questions

When are Thanksgiving events in Ithaca in 2026?

Thanksgiving events in Ithaca run from Nov 13 to Nov 29, 2026: 51 events.

What is on in Ithaca on Thanksgiving Day?

10 events are listed for Thursday, November 26, including Thanksgiving Day Zumba at Carriage House Theater, Turkey Trot 5K and Oodles of Proper Poodles “Fur-Key Stroll!” at Sperr Memorial Park.

Where can I have Thanksgiving dinner in Ithaca?

7 dinners, brunches and buffets are listed, including Thanksgiving Community Dinner, Thanksgiving Dinner and FREE Community Thanksgiving Dinner at Voices Recovery Center. Tables go early for the holiday, so book ahead where you can.

Are there turkey trots in Ithaca?

Yes: Turkey Trot 5K (Thu, Nov 26), Sayre Turkey Trot at Sayre Theatre (Thu, Nov 26) and Pie and Glove 2026 at Craig Park Pavilion (Thu, Nov 26).

Where can I volunteer this Thanksgiving in Ithaca?

🦃 Sennett Fire Department 41st Annual Turkey Raffle 🦃 is looking for helping hands.

Are there free Thanksgiving events in Ithaca?

Yes: 1 of the 51 listed is free, including Tommy Tornado Thanksgiving Eve Show at Cortland Beer Company, Court Street, Cortland, NY, USA. Tickets for the rest run from $55 to $65.

What are the best Thanksgiving events in Ithaca?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are Sayre Turkey Trot at Sayre Theatre (Thu, Nov 26), Thanksgiving Dinner (Thu, Nov 26) and Turkey Trot 5K (Thu, Nov 26).

Are there Thanksgiving events near Ithaca?

Yes: 8 more events are listed within reach, in Syracuse, Binghamton, Norwich and Liverpool 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.