Halloween is great, but I’ve always been a Thanksgiving kind of gal.
I don’t know how it won the top spot in my heart. Maybe it was the long, leisurely Thanksgiving days spend at my grandfather’s with my many cousins. Perhaps it’s the memories of twirling each year at the Scituate vs. Marshfield Thanksgiving Day game. Or perhaps it’s all the delicious food.
It’s all of that and something else: Thanksgiving isn’t about buying and giving gifts. There’s no pressure to decorate more than a lovely centerpiece and a seasonal tablecloth. Thanksgiving, I think, is all about the love.
And that’s why I like to extend the Thanksgiving vibe for as long as I can. Both pre and post T-Day, there are events and destinations that compliment and extend the good feelings Thanksgiving can bring. From shopping for your holiday meal in a quintessential New England way all the way to sending off the holiday with a winter event, here are some ways to make your Thanksgiving joy last.
Make your meal shopping an event: As much as you love Thanksgiving, do you dread the supermarket schlep? You are not alone. This year, head to Red Apple Farm (https://redapplefarm.com) in woodsy Phillipston for their annual Thanksgiving Harvest Festival, taking place this year on Nov. 23 and 24.
Each year, farmers and artisans from across the region display and sell their locally made products. From fresh veggies to masterfully created baked goods, you’ll find just about everything you need for your holiday meal.
Best of all, you’ll shop against the backdrop of a full working farm. The Festival also features face painting, pony rides, hayrides, blacksmith demonstrations, local live music, pick-your-own ornamental corn, guided nature hikes and more.
There’s plenty of food to enjoy on site, including at The Barn. It makes for a full-day of lead-up-to-Thanksgiving fun – and your shopping will be done.
Kick it off where it all began: Is there any place better to embrace all things Thanksgiving than Plymouth, Massachusetts? The day itself has long been a huge draw there, and now, with its celebrated annual America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration and Parade (https://usathanksgiving.com) and all the events around it, the fun extends to the weekend before the holiday.
The Parade kicks off from Water Street (near Plymouth Rock) at 10 a.m. on Nov. 23 and winds its way up to Main Street and along Court Street to Benny’s Plaza in North Plymouth.
With it being the second largest Thanksgiving parade in America (second only to Macy’s), you’ll want to get there early and grab your route-side spot. Shuttles run from remote parking places, and if you’re up to it, the walk from remote parking is doable as well.
There’s more. The Plymouth Philharmonic performs Friday night at Memorial Hall in downtown Plymouth, and Saturday night the Drum and Bugle Corps perform there as well.
On the waterfront on parade day you’ll find a beer garden, kids games and activities and a food truck alley. Then on Sunday, a harvest market takes over the waterfront, giving you a chance to stock up for the coming holiday.
And of course, there’s Plimoth Patuxet (https://plimoth.org) the famed living museum and Mayflower II replica, as well as many other historic Thanksgiving-related spots.
Follow up the feast with snow, speed and fun: It’s become a ski lover’s Thanksgiving weekend tradition. Skip the Black Friday lines and instead head to Killington, Vermont (https://www.killington.com) for the Stifel Killington Cup.
This stop on the Audi FIS Ski World Cup draws in most — if not all — of the world’s top female ski racers, who compete on Killington’s famed Superstar Trail for the coveted win.
It kicks off Nov. 29 with the athlete bib presentation; a chance to see your favorite stars up close, followed by fireworks. Saturday begins with the athletes parade at 9 a.m. followed by the race itself, awards ceremony, live music, an apres party and more. There’s more racing Sunday as well.
Expect big crowds (and buy tickets now; they sell out. Paid parking is already sold out but the event has a robust shuttle system that’s easy to navigate), and while praying for snow is always a good choice, the Killington snowmaking crew has all but mastered prepping a great surface for this event over the past years.
Bonus thrill: Could Mikaela Shiffrin snag her 100th World Cup Win there? Could happen.
