AllEvents

AllEvents in your city

Popular cities

Thanksgiving Events in Memphis 2026

Celebrate Thanksgiving 2026 in Memphis 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 Memphis.

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 Memphis

All Thanksgiving events in Memphis 2026

On now

Oct 15 – Nov 196743 Stage Road Suite #9, Bartlett36 days

Thursday Guided Meditation Circle II

Thursday Meditation Circle – All Are Welcome! Looking to start a meditation practice, explore mindfulness, or deepen your connection to stillness? Join us for a weekly group meditation in a safe, supportive space. Whether you are just beginning your med

7:00 PM

Sponsored

Sun, Nov 15Memphis Wrestling WrestleCenter

NOV. 15 | Memphis Wrestling Thanksgiving Special

Featuring WWE's Little Boogeyman! SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2026 | Celebrate Thanksgiving with the stars of Memphis Wrestling, along WWE's LITTLE BOOGEYMANE </st

1:30 PM

$14.90 – $31.30Family friendly

Sun, Nov 15Shelly Corbin's Home!, Germantown

Special Needs Family Friendsgiving - LAST CHANGE TO REGISTER!

Special Needs Families please join us for FRIENDSGIVING! Enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal and spend time together celebrating the gift of community. We can’t wait to gather with our families and share this special time together. Sunday, November 1

4:00 PM

Friendsgiving

Tue, Nov 17Hive Bagel & Deli

CREW Memphis- Friendsgiving Coffee

Join us for CREW Memphis Friendsgiving Coffee to sip, snack, and mingle with awesome friends IRL! Join CREW Memphis for a Friendsgiving Coffee at HIVE’s new East Memphis location! Start your morning w

7:00 AM

$23.18Friendsgiving

Tue, Nov 17NSA Mid South, Millington, TN

Liberty Thanksgiving Meal

Liberty Thanksgiving Meal Join Liberty for a tasty Thanksgiving meal featuring turkey, ham, and more. Stop by, enjoy a holiday lunch, and celebrate the season with friends. Food will be available while supplies last, so come early! Date: Wednesday, Nov

11:00 AM

Sponsored

Tue, Nov 177072 Winchester Road, Germantown

Chick-fil-A Winchester Rd Kids Night: Blessings Jar

🍁🧡 Blessings Jar at Kids Night! 🧡🍁 Join us at Chick-fil-A Winchester Rd for a meaningful November Kids Night where children can decorate their own Blessings Jar and fill it with little notes about the people, moments, and things they are thankful for. 📅 T

5:00 PM

Family friendly

Wed, Nov 182795 Kirby Whitten Rd, Bartlett

International Friendsgiving

Experience a delicious journey around the globe as you sample a variety of tastes and traditions inspired by different cultures, all while enjoying the warmth and fellowship of Friendsgiving. RSVP by November 14.

1:30 PM

Friendsgiving

Wed, Nov 18Peace Tree UMC, Collierville

Friendsgiving Potluck | November 18 at 6:00pm

We're getting together for another church-wide dinner! Peace Tree's Leadership Team will provide turkey & ham. We're asking for friends & family to bring along side dishes and desserts to help round out the meal (pick up a post-it note from the n

6:00 PM

Dinner & brunchFriendsgiving

Wed, Nov 182211 Getwell Road South, Hernando

Bowls Of Thanks Chili Cook Off

A night fun and fellowship! Want to enter a chili? Bring your best chili. Or just come and eat, judge the chili and enjoy a night of fun!

7:00 PM

Thu, Nov 19Second Baptist Church

Harvesting Abundance: Inter-Faith Thanksgiving Service

Harvesting Abundance: MIFA's Inter-Faith Thanksgiving Worship This Thanksgiving season, people from many faith traditions will gather in one room to celebrate the abundance we harvest together. Longtime MIFA partner Second Baptist Church is opening its d

5:30 PM

Sponsored

Fri, Nov 20Muddy's Bake Shop

Apple Pie , Oh My! [Friday session]

Make a traditional apple pie from scratch, just in time for Thanksgiving! Are you intimidated by pie pastry? Yearn to be able to whip up a seasonal fruit pie from scratch? This class is for

3:00 PM

$98.95

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 Memphis

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 Memphis: frequently asked questions

When are Thanksgiving events in Memphis in 2026?

Thanksgiving events in Memphis run from Oct 15 to Nov 28, 2026: 60 events.

What is on in Memphis on Thanksgiving Day?

11 events are listed for Thursday, November 26, including Memphis Turkey Trot at First Horizon Foundation Visitor Center at Shelby Farms Park, Open house boot camp(COED!!) at Fusion Fitness Memphis and Thanksgiving at The Inn at Sycamore View.

Where can I have Thanksgiving dinner in Memphis?

11 dinners, brunches and buffets are listed, including Friendsgiving Potluck | November 18 at 6:00pm at Peace Tree UMC, MSE Alumni Thanksgiving Feast and Friendsgiving Brunch Perfume Making Experience at The Living Room Memphis. Tables go early for the holiday, so book ahead where you can.

Are there turkey trots in Memphis?

Yes: Turkey Trot 5K Fun Run/Walk at REC. CENTER 5179 MCCAIN ST. , Millington, TN, United States, Tennessee TN (Nov 20–21) and Memphis Turkey Trot at First Horizon Foundation Visitor Center at Shelby Farms Park (Thu, Nov 26).

Where can I volunteer this Thanksgiving in Memphis?

Thanksgiving at The Inn at Sycamore View is looking for helping hands.

Are there free Thanksgiving events in Memphis?

Yes: 10 of the 60 listed are free, including Thanksgiving Giveaway( Hot Meal & Care Packages) at Bellevue Park, 35th Annual St. Louis Church Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair at St. Louis Catholic Church and The Professional Homegirl 3rd Annual Turkey Drive at Division of Community Enhancement. Tickets for the rest run from $7.88 to $381.47.

What are the best Thanksgiving events in Memphis?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are Memphis Official Thanksgiving Eve Bar Crawl 2026 at Old Dominick Distillery (Nov 25–26), Memphis Turkey Trot at First Horizon Foundation Visitor Center at Shelby Farms Park (Thu, Nov 26) and FREE Turkey giveaway! (Sat, Nov 21).

Are there Thanksgiving events near Memphis?

Yes: 4 more events are listed within reach, in Jonesboro.

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.