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Thanksgiving Events in Virginia Beach 2026

Celebrate Thanksgiving 2026 in Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach.

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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 Virginia Beach

All Thanksgiving events in Virginia Beach 2026

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Nov 28–29Military Aviation Museum367 days

Planes, Trains and Santa 2026

Kick off your Holiday Season at our annual Planes, Trains, and Santa on Thanksgiving weekend at the Military Aviation Museum! Join us for a festive Thanksgiving weekend at the Military Aviation Museum for o

9:00 AM

Free – $110VolunteerFamily friendly

Thu, Nov 5Salem High School - Virginia Beach

Sheriff Rocky Holcomb's Turkey Bowl IV

The Turkey Bowl has become an important event for the VBSO — bringing public safety and education together for some friendly competition while supporting the Virginia Beach Education Foundation’s Beach Bags program, which helps provide food for Virginia B

6:00 PM

Nov 8–2110017 Jefferson Ave, Newport News14 days

Friendsgiving Artisan Workshop & Sip

Get crafty with your crew and enjoy some tasty sips while making cool Friendsgiving keepsakes. Cozy Up, Craft, and Celebrate Connection Gather your favorite friends and join us at <

2:00 PM

$60.54Friendsgiving

Wed, Nov 11BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse (12090 Jefferson Ave Ste 1400, Newport News, VA)

STT November Meetup

It's the month of Thanksgiving, so let's come together, spend some time making new friends and sharing your business ideas for the last quarter of the year. Get your free ticket here:

6:00 PM

Sat, Nov 14Wilcox Indoor Archery Range, Newport News

Turkey Target Toss Up

Details and registration info:

9:00 AM

Sat, Nov 14DROP Fitness

Sip, Sway, & Slay: A Friendsgiving

Slip into your cutest muumuu for mimosas, music, dancing, and new friendships. Come sip, sway, and enjoy a girls' day out! Sip, Sway, & Slay!: A Friendsgiving Cute muumuus. Cold mimosas. Good musi

5:00 PM

$71.21Friendsgiving

Sun, Nov 15Hope Church, Chesapeake

ThanksGiving Service & Chili Cook-Off

Join us for our ThanksGiving Service and Chili Cook-Off on Sunday, Nov 15th at 10am. Sign up this Sunday in the Lobby to enter the Chili Cook-Off.

10:00 AM

Sun, Nov 15Sharon Baptist Church, Hampton

Friends and Family Thanksgiving

Join us for a Thanksgiving dinner Right after the morning service. Bring a side or a dessert.

12:00 PM

Dinner & brunch

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Best restaurants for Thanksgiving dinner in Virginia Beach

Thanksgiving at the beach means turkey next to crab legs and Lynnhaven oysters, mostly in the big Oceanfront hotel rooms and the seafood houses on Laskin Road.

  1. Historic hotelThe Historic Cavalier HotelNorth End OceanfrontSince 1927OrderRoasted turkey with sage gravy, Virginia oysters firstThe 1927 hilltop hotel spreads the holiday across its rooms: a three-course menu at Becca and a carving-station buffet in the Crystal Ballroom.Visit their site
  2. Rooftop dining roomOrion's RoofOceanfrontOrderThe Thanksgiving turkey plate with an ocean viewA glassed-in rooftop above the Marriott Oceanfront with a holiday menu on the day and brunch through the long weekend.Visit their site
  3. Seafood houseBuffetNautilusOceanfront, 32nd StreetOrderFried turkey off the carving station, then snow crab legsA locally owned seafood room whose holiday buffet carves fried and oven-roasted turkey alongside she-crab soup and fried Eastern Shore oysters.Visit their site
  4. Seafood buffetBuffetCaptain George's Seafood RestaurantLaskin RoadOrderTurkey and dressing with a pile of crab legsThe big seafood buffet locals bring visiting family to, with turkey, ham and sweet potato casserole set beside the crab legs and steamed shrimp.Visit their site
  5. Hotel dining roomBuffetSwan Terrace at The Founders InnIndian River RoadOrderCarved turkey and prime rib, pastry-shop piesThe Georgian-style inn's dining room puts on a family Thanksgiving spread with turkey, prime rib and desserts from its own pastry kitchen.Visit their site
  6. Hotel seafood grillBuffetSurf Club Ocean GrilleNorth End, Wyndham OceanfrontOrderOven-roasted turkey with peppercorn gravy, local oystersA quieter North End oceanfront room whose holiday buffet pairs a turkey and prime rib carving station with a raw bar.Visit their site
  7. Feast to goTo take homeTides Coastal KitchenShore Drive, Lynnhaven InletOrderThe family-of-four Thanksgiving packageA waterfront kitchen on Lynnhaven Inlet that packs a full turkey dinner for four for Thanksgiving-morning pickup.Visit their site

Every link goes to the place’s own site. Holiday menus and hours change each year, so check theirs before you book.

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 Virginia Beach

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 Virginia Beach: frequently asked questions

When are Thanksgiving events in Virginia Beach in 2026?

Thanksgiving events in Virginia Beach run from Nov 28 to Nov 28, 2026: 81 events.

What is on in Virginia Beach on Thanksgiving Day?

11 events are listed for Thursday, November 26, including Thanksgiving Dinner, Wild Turkey Thanksgiving Day 5k in Corolla at Whalehead in Historic Corolla and 🦃🥾 Turkey Trot Hike at First Landing State Park (5.5 Miles) 🍂🌲.

Where can I have Thanksgiving dinner in Virginia Beach?

15 dinners, brunches and buffets are listed, including The Friendsgiving Experience:Praise, Paint & Plates by KMB+Proclaim, Friends and Family Thanksgiving at Sharon Baptist Church and Thanksgiving Dinner & Communion Service. Tables go early for the holiday, so book ahead where you can.

Are there turkey trots in Virginia Beach?

Yes: Wild Turkey Thanksgiving Day 5k in Corolla at Whalehead in Historic Corolla (Thu, Nov 26), 🦃🥾 Turkey Trot Hike at First Landing State Park (5.5 Miles) 🍂🌲 (Thu, Nov 26) and Thanksgiving family dinner (Thu, Nov 26).

Where can I volunteer this Thanksgiving in Virginia Beach?

Local 110 “Thanksgiving Throwdown” Food Drive, Annual Veterans Thanksgiving Dinner at American Legion post 280 Virginia and CLUBWAKA Turkey Bowl 🦃🎳 at Sparetimes are looking for helping hands.

Are there free Thanksgiving events in Virginia Beach?

Yes: 7 of the 81 listed are free, including Planes, Trains and Santa 2026 at Military Aviation Museum, FREE FAMILY PICTURE DAY at South Harbor Clubhouse and Langley AFB Mobile Food Distribution Drive-Thru at Langley AFB F-15 Parking Lot. Tickets for the rest run from $5.56 to $847.55.

What are the best Thanksgiving events in Virginia Beach?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are 45th Annual Virginia Beach Christmas Market (Nov 27–29), Norfolk Official Thanksgiving Eve Bar Crawl 2026 at Downtown Norfolk (Nov 25–26) and Norfolk Thanksgiving Cruise - Black & Cheetah Print 2026 at The Spirit of Norfolk (Nov 28–29).

Are there Thanksgiving events near Virginia Beach?

Yes: 4 more events are listed within reach, in Newport News, Kitty Hawk, Williamsburg and Elizabeth City.

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.