When it comes to celebrating Thanksgiving, New England knows how to do it big. In New Hampshire, you’ll find centuries-old traditions, turkey trots to run off that big meal, and opportunity to volunteer and make someone else’s Thanksgiving a little bit brighter. Here’s our 2023's 9 Best Thanksgiving Activities and Events in New Hampshire.
Featuring four restaurants under one roof, Portsmouth Gaslight Company is one of the best places around to grab a drink or two. Visit the bar the night before Thanksgiving, and then stroll around downtown Portsmouth afterward. Take a selfie in front of the North Church—just steps from the Gaslight—and revel in the beauty of this small seacoast city.
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Gather some of the freshest ingredients available for your Thanksgiving dinner at Farm Fare at Stonewall Farm in Keene. Held the Saturday before Thanksgiving, you’ll find farm fresh foods and ideas for preparing them. Indulge in samples and take the kids on a hayride. You’ll definitely be in the Thanksgiving spirit following this exciting event.
Take a trip to Warner in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, and visit the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum. You’ll learn about the museum’s efforts to promote environmental action in honor of the Native Americans from this region.
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Place your order by November 20 for the best Thanksgiving pies around. Harvey’s Bakery makes apple, pumpkin, New Hampshire blueberry, lemon meringue, pecan, squash and more. Be sure to pick up some of their delicious homemade rolls, too. They’re a Thanksgiving tradition in many New Hampshire cities and towns.
Order your fresh farm turkey ahead of time from Tendercrop Farm. They are also taking orders for delicious side orders and baked goods, too.
Run the Dover Turkey Trot while Thanksgiving dinner is cooking. This annual event brings the community out of their homes on this joyous holiday and brings people together for an exciting fundraising event. Not a runner? Cheer on your neighbors from the sidelines.
No one wants to eat Thanksgiving dinner alone. Volunteer at the Edgewood Centre in Portsmouth, and eat Thanksgiving dinner with one of their many elderly patients who don’t venture out to the dining room for their meals. Maybe you don’t eat Thanksgiving dinner until the evening. If so, you’ll eat twice, but you’ll make the day of an elderly man or woman. Your meal is free, too.
The Common Table is a Thursday free lunch program held at St. John’s Church. The Common Table is always in need of bakers to provide desserts. Contact the church and bake some Thanksgiving pies for their holiday feast.
Check out the Black Friday ads on Thanksgiving morning, and then head out to the Mall at Fox Run the next day. Black Friday shoppers will be out in full force, but you’ll find bargains galore at Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret, H&M and more. Visit the Crossings at Fox Run just a five-minute walk from the mall at Fox Run for even more bargains. There you can shop at Kohl’s, the Kitchen Store, Michael’s, Old Navy, Barnes & Noble, and more.
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