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Thanksgiving Events in Pigeon Forge 2026

Celebrate Thanksgiving 2026 in Pigeon Forge 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 Pigeon Forge.

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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.”

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Top Thanksgiving events in Pigeon Forge

All Thanksgiving events in Pigeon Forge 2026

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Tue, Nov 17French Memorial Park, Rockford

Toddler Tuesdays: Tots Turkey Trot

Lace up those little sneakers and get moving at our Tots Turkey Trot!🦃🍂👟 This Thanksgiving season, we’re thankful for the chance to get outside, get moving, and enjoy a playful morning together with our little ones and their grown-ups. 📅 November 17 ⏰

10:00 AM

Turkey trot

Wed, Nov 185006 Clinton Hwy, Knoxville

Barksgiving Pawty

🦃🐾Join us for our Barksgiving Pawty to celebrate Thanksgiving on Wednesday, November 18th! 🐾🦃 📸FREE 4x6 photo of your dog + digital copy 🎁 Goody bags for all attendees 🎁 A Raffle Prize Basket for one lucky pup! 👉 Important Info: BEFORE Attending: All pu

7:00 AM

Wed, Nov 18Kern's Bakery, Knoxville

🍂 NAMMBA FRIENDSGIVING 🍂

Gather. Connect. Give Thanks. Join us for good food, great conversation, and gratitude as we celebrate the relationships and community that make NAMMBA so special. Wednesday, November 18th 3:30–6:30 PM Kern’s Bakery 2201 Kerns Rising Way Knoxville, TN

3:30 PM

Friendsgiving

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Wed, Nov 18323 Partnership Pkwy, Maryville

GriefShare @ PCC

GriefShare is a safe place where caring people come alongside you as you find healing from the pain of losing a loved one. At this 13-week, video-based support group program, you’ll learn about the reality of grief and helpful coping strategies. There is

6:30 PM

Wed, Nov 185401 Tiffany Rd, Knoxville

Thanksgiving Wednesday

Amazing Unity Bible Fellowship with Thanksgiving

6:30 PM

Wed, Nov 18Granny's Kitchen, Country Cooking Buffet Style in Cherokee, NC

Church Family Thanksgiving Celebration

Join Brother Justin and your Governors Island Baptist Church family for an evening of food, fellowship, and thanksgiving as we celebrate God’s many blessings! “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” — 1 T

6:30 PM

Fri, Nov 208030 Rutledge Pike

Thankful for Our Veterans: November Coffee & Donuts

Friday, November 20 | 9 a.m. The Exchange, 8030 Rutledge Pike, Rutledge This Thanksgiving season, we're especially thankful for those who answered the call to serve. Join Grainger County VSO Eric Stephens for the November Coffee & Donuts for Veteran

9:00 AM

Fri, Nov 20Parrott-Wood Memorial Library, Strawberry Plains

Reading Hour: Thanksgiving

Join us for this wonderful reading hour. We will be reading, telling stories and crafting. Invite your friends and enjoy this enrichment program.

9:30 AM

Free

Sponsored

Fri, Nov 202712 E Magnolia Ave Knoxville Tn 37914

2nd Annual Thanksgiving Dinner Giveaway

We will be giving away 100 complete Thanksgiving Dinners including Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Green beans, Corn, Stuffing and Cake mix with icing! Everything you need to prepare a Thanksgiving Dinner!

4:00 PM

Dinner & brunch

Sat, Nov 21Morristown Regional Airport

Stepping Out Inc. Turkey Trot 5K and 1mile Fun Run/Walk

The Turkey Trot 5K will be again held at the Morristown Regional Airport. This event provides a unique experience for our region, an opportunity to race on the runway and taxiway. This course will be one of the flattest 5k's in the Lakeway area. Early Ra

8:00 AM

Turkey trot

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 Pigeon Forge

Turkey trots, dinners and parades in the towns nearby

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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 Pigeon Forge: frequently asked questions

When are Thanksgiving events in Pigeon Forge in 2026?

Thanksgiving events in Pigeon Forge run from Nov 13 to Nov 28, 2026: 79 events.

What is on in Pigeon Forge on Thanksgiving Day?

23 events are listed for Thursday, November 26, including Hot to Trot Races on Thanksgiving Day, SCHS Foundation Smoky Bear Turkey Chase 5k at Sevier County High School and Waynesville Sunrise Rotary Turkey Trot 5K at Lake Junaluska.

Where can I have Thanksgiving dinner in Pigeon Forge?

20 dinners, brunches and buffets are listed, including 2nd Annual Thanksgiving Dinner Giveaway, Parish Thanksgiving DInner at St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church - Knoxville, Tennessee and Church Thanksgiving. Tables go early for the holiday, so book ahead where you can.

Are there turkey trots in Pigeon Forge?

Yes: Toddler Tuesdays: Tots Turkey Trot at French Memorial Park (Tue, Nov 17), Stepping Out Inc. Turkey Trot 5K and 1mile Fun Run/Walk at Morristown Regional Airport (Sat, Nov 21) and Hot to Trot Races on Thanksgiving Day (Thu, Nov 26).

Are there free Thanksgiving events in Pigeon Forge?

Yes: 4 of the 79 listed are free, including Reading Hour: Thanksgiving at Parrott-Wood Memorial Library, Drinksgiving at Daisy's Non-alcoholic Bar and Bottle Shop and Movie In The Market | A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving at Kern's Bakery. Tickets for the rest run from $7.88 to $65.55.

What are the best Thanksgiving events in Pigeon Forge?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are Knoxville Official Thanksgiving Eve Bar Crawl 2026 at Local Smokey (Nov 25–26), Waynesville Sunrise Rotary Turkey Trot 5K at Lake Junaluska (Thu, Nov 26) and GREAT SMOKY ARTS & CRAFTS COMMUNITY Thanksgiving CRAFT SHOW at Gatlinburg Convention Center (Nov 24–29).

Are there Thanksgiving events near Pigeon Forge?

Yes: 6 more events are listed within reach, in Waynesville, Asheville and Skyland.

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.