AllEvents

AllEvents in your city

Popular cities

Thanksgiving Events in Jackson 2026

Celebrate Thanksgiving 2026 in Jackson 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 Jackson.

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 Jackson

All Thanksgiving events in Jackson 2026

On now

Nov 1–1513387 29 Mile Rd, Albion15 days

Food Drive for Community Table of Albion

We're collecting non-perishable foods to donate to our local food hub! All donations stay in Albion! Collecting until Dec 6 - look for the tote at the Lodge!

5:00 PM

Volunteer

Sponsored

Sun, Nov 15Pinckney, Michigan

Sage & Gruyere Biscuits with Homemade Butter (1 SPACE AVAILABLE)

Sage & Gruyere Biscuits- November 15th 11 a.m until 2:30 p.m. Class cost: $75 Bread rolls are traditional on a Thanksgiving plate but these biscuits will have your friends and family talking! They're perfect for cleaning plates of any remaining gravy,

11:00 AM

Sun, Nov 15MI Craft House, Howell

Needle Felted Turkey Workshop at MI Craft House

Celebrate the cozy colors and textures of autumn with a Needle Felted Turkey Workshop at MI Craft House. In this beginner-friendly class, you’ll learn how to transform loose wool into a dimensional turkey using simple needle-felting techniques. We’ll wor

1:00 PM

Sun, Nov 15120 E Main St, Spring Arbor

Thanks and Praise Service

Sunday, Nov. 15 4 p.m. Celebrating Thanksgiving and the goodness of God in partnership with the Spring Arbor University Music Department!

4:00 PM

Sponsored

Tue, Nov 171375 N Adrian Hwy

Bread Basket 2 sessions

Bread Basket (2 sessions) with Jeanne Schafer Tuesday November 17th and Thursday November 19th 6:00pm to 9:00pm Cost $65 Weave your own Thanksgiving bread basket using primitive style weaving.

6:00 PM

Wed, Nov 182321 Aurelius Rd, Holt

FREE Community Dinner!

Join us at Holt United Methodist Church for a free community dinner! This month we will have a Thanksgiving meal! There will be gluten free and vegan options available. All are welcome!

5:00 PM

Dinner & brunch

Wed, Nov 18Studio Eats & Events Space, Charlotte

Cookie Sugaring Event

🍁🍪 Let’s Get Together for Something SWEET! 🍪🍁 SWAN (Strong Women Arise Network) invites you to an evening of fall fun, friendship, and COOKIE SUGARING! Join us as local baker Julie Gilbert guides us through creating beautifully sugared, fall-themed cook

5:30 PM

Thu, Nov 19237 East Chicago Street, Jonesville

Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive **Free Haircuts**

🍂 GIVE THANKS. GIVE BACK. MAKE A DIFFERENCE! 🧡 Join Belleza Salon and Spa for our Thanksgiving Food Drive in partnership with The Jonesville Mission! We’re coming together to help provide Thanksgiving food for local Jonesville families in need, and we w

4:00 PM

Volunteer

Thu, Nov 192630 Bennett Road, Okemos

Thanksgiving Modge Podge Art Class

Modge Podge Art Classes are back for the Holiday Season! Get creative and celebrate the season with a little holiday crafting! In this festive edition of Modge Podge, kids will explore their creativity while making fun, Thanksgiving art projects. With pl

5:00 PM

Family friendly

Sponsored

Thu, Nov 19McDonald's (Okemos, MI)

Thanksgiving McPlaydate

Weekday dinners are tough, especially when you have kids. Make it easy on yourself and join us at McDonalds for dinner! We’ll have a complimentary Thanksgiving craft for your kiddos to do! Watch our social media pages for sneak peeks. Come meet local fami

5:00 PM

Dinner & brunchFamily friendly

Thu, Nov 19422 Detroit St, Ann Arbor

Pre-Thanksgiving Butter Tasting

What butter should you get for our biggest bread holiday of the year? Come sample some of our favorite butters with Deli Managing Partner, Grace Singleton, and decide which butter will impress your guests the most, work best in your holiday baking, and be

5:30 PM

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 Jackson

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 Jackson: frequently asked questions

When are Thanksgiving events in Jackson in 2026?

Thanksgiving events in Jackson run from Nov 1 to Nov 29, 2026: 85 events.

What is on in Jackson on Thanksgiving Day?

9 events are listed for Thursday, November 26, including THANKSGIVING DAY TURKEY TROT 5K, 2026 Ann Arbor Turkey Trot 5K & 1K at Ann Arbor, Michigan and Turkey Trot at McCormick Park.

Where can I have Thanksgiving dinner in Jackson?

8 dinners, brunches and buffets are listed, including FREE Community Dinner!, Thanksgiving McPlaydate at McDonald's (Okemos, MI) and 🍁Gratitude Gathering🍁 at Fowlerville, Michigan. Tables go early for the holiday, so book ahead where you can.

Are there turkey trots in Jackson?

Yes: Turkey Trot Tune Up Shakeout Run at Fleet Feet Ann Arbor West (Tue, Nov 24), THANKSGIVING DAY TURKEY TROT 5K (Thu, Nov 26) and 2026 Ann Arbor Turkey Trot 5K & 1K at Ann Arbor, Michigan (Thu, Nov 26).

Where can I volunteer this Thanksgiving in Jackson?

Food Drive for Community Table of Albion, Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive **Free Haircuts** and Caffeination & Queeriosities: Get Stuffed! T-giving Eve Trivia and Food Drive at Okemos Coffee Shop are looking for helping hands.

Are there free Thanksgiving events in Jackson?

Yes: 5 of the 85 listed are free, including Mug Club & Friends FRIENDSGIVING 2026 at hear.say brewery + theater, Turkey Trot Tune Up Shakeout Run at Fleet Feet Ann Arbor West and Ann Arbor Official Thanksgiving Eve Bar Crawl 2026 at The Circ Bar. Tickets for the rest run from $28.52 to $81.88.

What are the best Thanksgiving events in Jackson?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are 2026 Ann Arbor Turkey Trot 5K & 1K at Ann Arbor, Michigan (Thu, Nov 26), Ann Arbor Official Thanksgiving Eve Bar Crawl 2026 at The Circ Bar (Nov 25–26) and Thanksgiving Dinner at Crowne Plaza Lansing by IHG (Thu, Nov 26).

Are there Thanksgiving events near Jackson?

Yes: 6 more events are listed within reach, in Toledo, Taylor, Kalamazoo and Southfield.

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.