Wed, Nov 255:00 PM
Santa Cruz Official Thanksgiving Eve Bar Crawl 2026
Downtown Santa Cruz
Thanksgiving Events in Monterey 2026
Celebrate Thanksgiving 2026 in Monterey 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 Monterey.
Listings updated
Curated by the AllEvents team, for you
Top Thanksgiving events in Monterey
All Thanksgiving events in Monterey 2026
Sat, Nov 14720 Monterey St, Hollister
Friendsgiving Dinner Church
Please join us for a special "Friendsgiving" Dinner Church. We will be having a Turkey Dinner with all of the trimmings. It is a place where we come as strangers ... and leave as friends ... while sharing a simple church service with contemplative music.
Dinner & brunchFriendsgiving
Sun, Nov 15Carmel Mission Basilica, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
Interfaith Outreach of Carmel's 18th Annual Celebration of Gratitude
18TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF GRATITUDE Celebrate gratitude, community and togetherness! Interfaith Outreach of Carmel warmly invites you to join us for our 18th Annual Celebration of Gratitude on Sunday, November 15, at the beautiful Carmel Mission Basili
Wed, Nov 18Steel Bonnet Brewing Company, Scotts Valley
Friendsgiving - Craft and Connect!
Make a card, meet a friend, and spread some Thanksgiving cheer! 5-minute friend dates, crafts & community at Steel Bonnet! Join us on Wednesday, November 18th from 6:30–8:30 PM
$23.18FriendsgivingVolunteer
Fri, Nov 20General Stilwell Community Center, Seaside
Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt
What are you thankful for? Join us at the General Stilwell Community Center on Friday, November 20, for a community scavenger hunt. The first person to find them all takes home the grand prize, and every single participant leaves with a Jamba Juice gift
Fri, Nov 20The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salinas
Cena de rama de Accion de Gracias/Thanksgiving Branch Dinner
La rama tendra una cena para el dia de Accion de Gracias. Traigan algo de comer para compartir. <p>La rama tendra una cena para el dia de Accion de Gracias. Traigan algo de comer para compartir.</p
FreeDinner & brunch
Sun, Nov 22EXPRESSIONS FLORAL, Gilroy
Thanksgiving Centerpiece Workshop
Join us in person to craft cozy, festive Thanksgiving centerpieces that'll wow your holiday table! Thanksgiving Centerpiece Workshop Join us for a fun, hands-on session where you'll craft your v
$71.21
Nov 23–251800 Green Hills Rd, Scotts Valley3 days
LightSpeed Thanksgiving Break Camp 2026
Looking for a fun and active place for your child during Thanksgiving break? Join us for three exciting days at LightSpeed Thanksgiving Break Camp! 🦃🍂🥋 Campers will enjoy: 🎮 Games 🚌 Field trips 🎬 Movies 🥋 Martial arts 🎨 Arts and crafts ✨ And more! 📅
Wed, Nov 25Community Center, 25 Ford Road, CV 939924, Carmel Valley
2026 Thanksgiving Feast
Community Thanksgiving Feast hosted by and for our Carmel Valley neighbors. Come together, share laughter, gratitude, and a Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings. Free, donations welcome at the door. Sit down dining inside and al fresco. Make reservati
Dinner & brunchVolunteer
Wed, Nov 25Casa Sorrento Pizzeria, Salinas
FRIENDSGIVING CUMBIA PARI
NOVEMBER 25: FRIENDSGIVING CUMBIA PARI We're Taking It Back to Where It All Started… NOVEMBER 25: FRIENDSGIVING CUMBIA PARI We're Taking It Back to Where It All Started… Que P
$20Friendsgiving
Nov 25–26Capos Event Center, Gilroy2 days
PERREO RODEO” 18+, WEDNESDAY NOV 25TH• CAPOS EVENT CENTER
PERREO RODEO - MECHANICAL BULL - $500 CASH FOR THE BEST RIDER! 🤠🔥 PERREO RODEO — THANKSGIVING EVE 2026 🔥🤠 🚨 GILROY - SAN JOSE CA — THE WILDEST THANKSGIVING EVE PARTY IS HERE! Get ready for a nig
$28.52 – $44.52
Thu, Nov 26110 10th St, Marina
Gobble Wobble - 2026 Marina Dunes Promenade Turkey Trot
Start Thanksgiving Day on a joyful note - whether you walk, run, or wobble! Join your neighbors for a festive Turkey Trot around our beautiful neighborhood loop. Every time you return to base, stop by the Turkey table for a surprise challenge - and finis
Turkey trot
Thu, Nov 261996 San Juan Oaks Drive, Hollister
San Juan Oaks Thanksgiving Shotgun
Start your Thanksgiving morning with a round at San Juan Oaks! Join us Thursday, November 26, at 9 AM for our Thanksgiving Shotgun. Enjoy a morning on the course before the holiday festivities begin, with a breakfast burrito and coffee included. Spots
Thu, Nov 261855 41st Avenue, Capitola
Jazzercise Thanksgiving Day Fundraiser Class!
🎉 Our ANNUAL JAZZERCISE SANTA CRUZ THANKSGIVING MORNING WORKOUT is back, and we want YOU there! ✨ Team-taught ✨ Tons of fun, energy & community spirit ✨ FREE with a donation to our @secondharvestsantacruz fundraiser! ❤️ It's one of our favorite tr
Volunteer
Thu, Nov 262 Portola Plz
Thanksgiving Buffet at Portola Hotel & Spa
Join us at the Portola Hotel & Spa in Monterey, CA for a memorable Thanksgiving celebration at our Annual Thanksgiving Buffet. This year, we invite you and your loved ones to give thanks and enjoy a sumptuous holiday feast in the elegant De Anza Ballr
Dinner & brunchFamily friendly
Thu, Nov 26Crocker Dining Hall, Pacific Grove
Thanksgiving '26 at Asilomar
Gather for a Coastal Feast at Asilomar. 🦃 Thanksgiving Dinner Celebration Join us for a warm and festive Thanksgiving experience featuring a beautifully prepared holi
$55.89 – $132.77Dinner & brunchLive music
Thu, Nov 26700 Munras Ave
🦃🍂 Thanksgiving at Estéban Restaurant 🍂 🦃
Gather, Give Thanks, and Savor Estéban Restaurant's Thanksgiving Feast Join us at Estéban's for an unforgettable Thanksgiving celebration! This is your opportunity to gather with loved ones and express gratitude in style. Our impressive Three-Course Th
Dinner & brunch
Sat, Nov 281092 Monterey St, Soledad
Happy Gil-Core
Happy Gilmore, Happy Core! Post-Thanksgiving Pilates fun! Dress like Adam Sandler, local vendors & bring a non-perishable food donation! Happy Gil-Core! Baggy Fits. Happy Bellies. Burning Ab
$25Volunteer
Sat, Nov 28Alvarado St, Monterey, CA 93940, United States
Small Business Saturday in Downtown Monterey
Downtown Monterey invites you to Shop Small and support locally-owned businesses this holiday season. Your gifts warm the hearts of loved ones near and far and those purchases help our community remain vibrant. Throughout the district there will be speci
Sat, Nov 28Lighthouse Ave , Monterey, CA, United States, California 93940
Small Business Saturday
New Monterey's Lighthouse District invites you to join us for Small Business Saturday to Shop Small and get to know the locally-owned businesses that make up the Lighthouse District community. We're rolling out the red carpet for you with deals, discount
Sat, Nov 28Roberts Ranch Vineyards, Ben Lomond
Thanksgiving Wine, Charcuterie & Brazilian Jazz - with Yee & Peixoto
Thanksgiving weekend we welcome musicians Lillian Yee and Ricardo Peixoto to Roberts Ranch for Wine, Charcuterie & the Jazz music of Brazil! Thanksgiving weekend, we're delighted to welcome <str
$12.51 – $49.87
Sat, Nov 28The Otter's Den, Marina
COMEDY AT THE DEN
By this show (2 days after turkey day) you just may be over the holiday chaos. Get ready to laugh your cheeks off & enjoy the great vibes! Listen, we know the holidays can be... well... lets just say di
$12.51 – $17.85
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.
- Host
Instant-read thermometerThe one tool between a dry bird and a juicy oneShop on Amazon - Host
Roasting pan with rackLifts the turkey so it browns all overShop on Amazon - Host
Food warming matEvery side still warm when the last guest sitsShop on Amazon - Guest
Casserole carrierFor the dish you promised to bring, 9×13Shop on Amazon - Table
Thanksgiving tableclothAutumn leaves for the long tableShop on Amazon - Table
Cheesecloth table runnerSoft and gathered, this year’s table lookShop on Amazon - Table
Gratitude conversation cardsSomething to talk about besides the gameShop on Amazon - Kids
Coloring tableclothKeeps the kids’ table busy till pieShop on Amazon - Friendsgiving
Plates and napkins setFor Friendsgiving, and no washing upShop on Amazon - Run
Turkey hatRun the Turkey Trot dressed for dinnerShop on Amazon
Thanksgiving events near Monterey
Turkey trots, dinners and parades in the towns nearby
Nov 20–21OPAL NIGHTCLUB, Mountain View2 days
NOV 20 | FRIDAY | BOLLYWOOD FRIENDSGIVING PARTY | MOUNTAIN VIEW
Free – $81.88Friendsgiving
Nov 21–22Era Lounge, San Jose2 days
NOV 21 | SAT | BOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTER | THANKSGIVING PARTY| SAN JOSE
Free – $17.85
Wed, Nov 25San Jose Convention Center
2026 Give Thanks Festival - Wednesday at San Jose Convention Center
Nov 25–26The Old Wagon Saloon & Grill, San Jose2 days
San Jose Official Thanksgiving Eve Bar Crawl 2026
Free – $12.50
Nov 27–28Pure Nightclub, Sunnyvale2 days
Yalla Habibi SJ: ARABIC THANKSGIVING @PURE NIGHTCLUB | NOV 27
$23.18 – $33.85
Sat, Nov 28San Jose Convention Center
2026 Give Thanks Festival - Saturday at San Jose Convention Center
Nov 28–29Pure Nightclub, Sunnyvale2 days
PERREO SAN JOSE! @ Pure Nightclub! SAT 11/28 THANKSGIVING WKND ReggaetonEDM
Free
Sun, Nov 29First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto
Nutcracker Sweet with the Puppet Company
FreeFamily friendlyLive music
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.
- 1621After their first harvest, the Plymouth colonists hold three days of feasting. Massasoit arrives with about 90 Wampanoag men, who bring five deer.
- 1789George Washington proclaims the first national day of thanksgiving, for Thursday, 26 November.
- 1846–63Sarah Josepha Hale, the magazine editor who wrote “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, writes to five presidents asking for one national day.
- 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.
- 1896Buffalo runs its first YMCA Turkey Trot, now the oldest footrace held every year in North America — a year older than the Boston Marathon.
- 1924Macy’s holds its first parade in New York, with animals from the Central Park Zoo. The giant balloons arrive in 1927.
- 1934The Detroit Lions play on Thanksgiving for the first time, and football becomes part of the afternoon.
- 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.
- 1957Canada settles on the second Monday of October for its own Thanksgiving, which goes back to 1578.
- 1989George H. W. Bush gives the first formal presidential turkey pardon, now a White House tradition.
Thanksgiving in Monterey: frequently asked questions
When are Thanksgiving events in Monterey in 2026?
Thanksgiving events in Monterey run from Nov 14 to Nov 28, 2026: 24 events.
What is on in Monterey on Thanksgiving Day?
7 events are listed for Thursday, November 26, including Gobble Wobble - 2026 Marina Dunes Promenade Turkey Trot, San Juan Oaks Thanksgiving Shotgun and Jazzercise Thanksgiving Day Fundraiser Class!.
Where can I have Thanksgiving dinner in Monterey?
7 dinners, brunches and buffets are listed, including Friendsgiving Dinner Church, Cena de rama de Accion de Gracias/Thanksgiving Branch Dinner at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and 2026 Thanksgiving Feast at Community Center, 25 Ford Road, CV 939924. Tables go early for the holiday, so book ahead where you can.
Are there turkey trots in Monterey?
Yes: Gobble Wobble - 2026 Marina Dunes Promenade Turkey Trot (Thu, Nov 26).
Are there free Thanksgiving events in Monterey?
Yes: 2 of the 24 listed are free, including Cena de rama de Accion de Gracias/Thanksgiving Branch Dinner at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Santa Cruz Official Thanksgiving Eve Bar Crawl 2026 at Downtown Santa Cruz. Tickets for the rest run from $12.51 to $132.77.
What are the best Thanksgiving events in Monterey?
The most popular on AllEvents right now are Santa Cruz Official Thanksgiving Eve Bar Crawl 2026 at Downtown Santa Cruz (Wed, Nov 25), 831 Roots Productions & XL Public House Presents Andrew Bee's at XL Publichouse (Nov 27–28) and Thanksgiving Feast at the River Inn (Thu, Nov 26).
Are there Thanksgiving events near Monterey?
Yes: 8 more events are listed within reach, in Mountain View, San Jose, Sunnyvale and Palo Alto.
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.