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Thanksgiving Events in Willmar 2026

Celebrate Thanksgiving 2026 in Willmar 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 Willmar.

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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.”

With love,Your name

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Top Thanksgiving events in Willmar

All Thanksgiving events in Willmar 2026

Wed, Nov 25205 W Mill St, Paynesville

Discovery Den: Thankful for Family & Friends

Join us for a drop-in style evening of play, exploring, creating, and connecting just in time for Thanksgiving! Discovery Den: Thankful for Family & Friends is available now to register online!

4:15 PM

Thu, Nov 26424 3rd St N, Dassel

Thanksgiving at Dassel Diner

We're OPEN Thanksgiving Day! This Thanksgiving, let us do the cooking while you enjoy time with family and friends! ☀️ BREAKFAST We'll be starting the morning with a limited breakfast menu featuring some of your diner favorites! 🍗 THANKSGIVING LUNCH Jo

7:00 AM

Thu, Nov 265616 Prairies Edge Lane, Granite Falls

Thanksgiving Buffet

Join us in the Convention Center on, Thursday, November 26, 2026, for the Thanksgiving Buffet. Enjoy your traditional favorites, classic sides, salads, desserts, and much more!

10:00 AM

Dinner & brunch

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 Willmar

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 Willmar: frequently asked questions

When are Thanksgiving events in Willmar in 2026?

Thanksgiving events in Willmar run from Nov 6 to Nov 26, 2026: 6 events.

What is on in Willmar on Thanksgiving Day?

2 events are listed for Thursday, November 26, including Thanksgiving at Dassel Diner and Thanksgiving Buffet.

Where can I have Thanksgiving dinner in Willmar?

2 dinners, brunches and buffets are listed, including Queer Connections: Friendsgiving Dinner at Willmar Community Center and Thanksgiving Buffet. Tables go early for the holiday, so book ahead where you can.

What are the best Thanksgiving events in Willmar?

The most popular on AllEvents right now are Church of St. Anthony Turkey BINGO (Sat, Nov 21), Talk Turkey To Me Family Day Painting Class at The Paint Factory (Sun, Nov 22) and Queer Connections: Friendsgiving Dinner at Willmar Community Center (Fri, Nov 6).

Are there Thanksgiving events near Willmar?

Yes: 7 more events are listed within reach, in Glenwood, South Haven, Sartell and Springfield and more.

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.