Massachusetts is proud of its historic connection to America’s Thanksgiving holiday, which takes place each year on the last Thursday in November. After the first harvest in 1621, the Pilgrims gathered in Plymouth with their neighbors, the Wampanoag People, broke bread, gave thanks and celebrated their freedom in Plymouth, thereby observing the first Thanksgiving in the American colonies.
Below is just a sampling of how Massachusetts marks Thanksgiving Day, which falls on November 23 in 2023. From Plymouth’s Annual Parade and Wampanoag ceremonies to museum exhibits and 5K races, there is plenty to do in the Bay State.
And last but not least, check out dozens of restaurants and hotels offering special Thanksgiving dinners for you to enjoy.
GREATER BOSTON | NORTH OF BOSTON | SOUTH OF BOSTON | CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS | CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS | WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
GREATER BOSTON
Thanksgiving Wine & Cheese Pairing Class
November 11, 2023
Commonwealth Wine School, Cambridge
Thanksgiving Day At City Tap House
November 23, 2023
Boston
Caring For Navajo Culture: In Museums And Beyond
November 15, 2023
Harvard Museum Of Natural History, Cambridge
NORTH OF BOSTON
Be Our Guest: Holiday Hosting Supper Club
November 15, 2023
Town Meeting – Inn At Hastings Park, Lexington
Rockport Farmers Market Thanksgiving Market
November 19, 2023
Whales Jaw Café, Rockport
Wild Turkey 5 Mile Run!
November 23, 2023
Salem
Thanksgiving Day in Town Meeting Bistro
November 23
Town Meeting Bistro, Lexington
SOUTH OF BOSTON
New England Harvest Feast
November 11, 18, 19, 22, 24, 25, 2023
Plimoth Patuxet Museums
Annual Running of the Pilgrims 5K
November 23, 2023
Plymouth Rock
Thanksgiving Day in America’s Hometown
November 23, 2023
Plymouth
Thanksgiving Day Homestyle Buffet
November 23
Plimoth Patuxet Museums
The Story of Thanksgiving Dinner
November 23, 2023
Plimoth Patuxet Museums
Thursday Night Football and All You Can Eat Wings
November 23, 2023
Plymouth G Pub
CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
Turkey Trot – Oak Bluffs 5K
November 23, 2023
MV Chowder Company, Oak Bluffs
Thanksgiving Weekend Horse Drawn Carriage Rides
November 23, 24, 2023
Harbor View Hotel, Edgartown
Vineyard Artisans 27th Annual Thanksgiving Weekend Festival
November 24, 2023
Agricultural Hall, West Tisbury
CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS
Pre-Thanksgiving Market
November 18, 2023
Ashland Farmers Market, Ashland
Chestnut Hill Farm: Talking Turkey! A Family Program
November 18, 2023
Chestnut Hill Farm Farmstand and CSA, Southborough
Celebration of the Turkeys
November 19, 2023
Unity Farm Sanctuary, Sherborn
Thanksgiving Eve at Jack’s Abby
November 22, 2023
Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers, Framingham
Thanksgiving Eve At Hue
November 22
SKYBOKX 109 Sports Bar & Grill, Natick
Franklin Turkey Trot
November 23, 2023
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Franklin
Turkey Jam
November 24 – 25, 2023
Hudson
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
2nd Annual Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. Thankful Food Drive
November 4 – 30
Pittsfield
Open Hearth Cooking Demonstrations menu inspired by “traditional” Thanksgiving dishes
November 24 – 25
Historic Deerfield