Happy Thanksgiving

We’re going to keep it short this week as it’s my favorite holiday of the year, so I need extra time to scrounge around all the H.E.B.’s looking for tasty treats. Lots of Austinites have skidaddled back to wherever their families are this week, and the traffic is oh so blessedly non-existent. For folks still in town, this is definitely a great time to hit up a local hotspot that has been largely unavailable to those of us not accustomed to instagram throngs. In addition, I did prepare a nice little rundown of all the holiday options this week; there’s a lot going on and plenty of fun stuff to do!

On Thanksgiving day, start your morning with the iconic ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot or flow into gratitude with a Thanksgiving yoga class at 9am. For the main meal, you’ve got a lot of options! You can grab a $20 traditional spread at The Iron Bear's Annual Thanksgiving Dinner (1-5pm, 301 W 6th St) or the free VFW potluck (500 VFW Rd), splurge on an upscale plated feast at Cannon + Belle ($62), or hit Industry Eastside's buffet with DJ and drink specials ($25). The Austin Galano Club's "Turkeys in Tiaras" themed potluck (6809 Guadalupe St) also offers a playful, welcoming vibe if you want to celebrate with chosen family.

Corinne is serving a family-style feast for $65 per person, featuring traditional dishes with locally-sourced ingredients. For something a little different, Nômadé Cocina is bringing bold Yucatán flavors with a four-course menu including slow-cooked turkey in burnt chili salsa. Kerbey Lane locations are offering Thanksgiving plates with roasted turkey, garlic whipped potatoes, and all the traditional sides, available while supplies last. Pins Austin will be open from 5 p.m. to midnight for NFL games, and they're BYOF (bring your own food), so you can watch football with friends and bring your own Thanksgiving leftovers.

Other tried and true local options are as follows: Crown & Anchor Pub hosts a Thanksgiving potluck every year with tons of beers on tap and an always welcoming crowd. For something morechill and casual, Little Darlin' will serve up Thanksgiving dinner at 4pm. Lastly, hit up Hoover's Cooking for authentic Southern comfort food if you want to see where Austinites have gone for Thanksgiving for decades. At just $24 a person for a full feast, you cannot beat that deal!

After dinner, keep the day going. You can stroll through Zilker or hike the Greenbelt to walk off that feast, catch a movie at Alamo, or treat yourself to locally-baked cookies from Melis Monster Cookies or Lady Babka. If you're feeling generous, volunteer at Central Texas Food Bank to connect with the community spirit that makes Austin special. If you feel like partying, The Cedar Door's three-day "Drinksgiving" celebration features $10 Mexican Martinis, turkey plates, Texas football viewing, and dancing—perfect for a casual, festive atmosphere.

After sunset there are even post-dinner party options like Bebo's Lounge & Nightclub (9pm start, music and dancing).

Austin is a city of expats and is historically always extremely welcoming to folks on Thanksgiving. You don’t have to feel shy about attending any of the events above, even if you don’t know anyone, the community will be there for you and help you to indulge in feast and merriment!

Lastly, despite the fact that most Austinites are out of town this week, there’s still weird and wonderful events going on so if you’re here and need something fun to do, try some searches on WhatsGoodATX!

A huge shoutout to our amazing WhatsWeirdATX supporters: Anthony, Anthony Stokes, Rebekah, Laurie, agnikai, Nick W, Just Jason, Santos, Kat, Britt, Stephanie, LoganJ, Yvette, Connor, Leslie, Praveer, Christina, Emily, tags-09, and /u/runthistownatx!

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