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🦃 Last-Minute Thanksgiving? Your Triangle Full Guide Is Here!
Published 22 days ago • 7 min read
Happy Thanksgiving, Triangle!
I’m sending this week’s newsletter a little early so you have plenty of time to plan, whether that means booking a table, picking up a pre-order feast, or just grabbing pies that won’t survive the car ride home.
If cooking isn’t happening this year, I pulled together a real locals’ list of where to eat or order your Thanksgiving dinner so you don’t have to guess what’s still open or worth trying.
Also, if the plan is getting out of the house, I’ve got a full guide to the best holiday happenings this week: turkey trots, tree lightings, markets, comedy shows, musicals, and a few cozy traditions that are easy wins.
And because it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving in North Carolina without a story that makes you smile, wait until you meet Raleigh’s newest celebrities: Gobble and Waddle, the official 2025 National Thanksgiving Turkeys.
Let’s dive in! ⬇️
—Brette Davis
Where to Eat or Order Your Thanksgiving Dinner
No apron, no problem. If cooking isn’t in the plan this year, you’re covered. I pulled together a full list of Triangle restaurants offering dine-in Thanksgiving menus or pre-order meals you can take home. Just scroll down and pick your favorite.
Rooftop Bites
10th and Terrace Holiday bites and cocktails all week • Thanksgiving Day included 🔗 10thandterrace.com
Heat-and-Serve Feasts
Bob Evans Open breakfast, lunch and dinner • Heat-and-serve for 4, 8 or 10 • Check in-store for availability 🔗 bobevans.com
Sam Jones BBQ Heat-and-serve for 8–10 • Limited availability may remain 🔗 samjonesbbq.com
City Barbeque Fresh holiday meals for 6–24 • Pickup through Nov 30 • Orders must be placed 24 hours in advance 🔗 citybbq.com
Figulina Thanksgiving Bundle • à la carte menu for 6–8 🔗 figulinaraleigh.com
Fine Dining & Special Menus
The Capital Grille Thanksgiving dinner • Reheat-and-serve meal for 4 • Reservation window may be tight 🔗 thecapitalgrille.com
Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille Dine-in or family-style meals • up to 4 🔗 perryssteakhouse.com
Sullivan’s Steakhouse Holiday roasted dinner • Take-and-warm packages for 5 or 10 🔗 sullivanssteakhouse.com
Fleming’s Steakhouse Two-course Thanksgiving menu • Bundles for 6 🔗 flemingssteakhouse.com
(🤫 Need something fast? Just reply "LAST-MINUTE" and I’ll help you find what’s still open)
The Willard (AC Hotel Raleigh Downtown) Thanksgiving buffet • 2–7 p.m. • Football streamed in the ballroom 🔗 thewillardraleigh.com
If you end up grabbing one of these meals, reply and tell me how it went. I love sharing real experiences from our readers! 🫶🏻
Featured Listings
Go-To Guide for Holiday Happenings
Not sure where to start with your Thanksgiving week plans? I pulled together the Triangle’s best events and things to do so you can skip the scrolling, enjoy your days out, and jump straight into holiday mode!
Thanksgiving Runs
Turkey Leg Day Cary kicks things off with a full park-wide workout. Think leg-burners, quick cardio breaks, and a fun vibe that feels more like a group challenge than a class. Nov 26 • Downtown Cary Park 🔗 Website
Trophy Trot 5K The classic Thanksgiving morning run. A scenic route through Dorothea Dix Park and a relaxed after-party at Trophy Brewing. Nov 27 • Dorothea Dix Park 🔗 Website
TROSA Turkey Trot 5K A feel-good race that starts and ends on the TROSA campus. Chip-timed, long-sleeve tee, medal, and refreshments included. Nov 27 • TROSA Campus 🔗 Website
Gobbler’s Run 5K Wake Forest’s tradition. Friendly, approachable, and a first race for a lot of locals. Nov 27 • Wake Forest 🔗 Website
Tree Lightings and Seasonal Nights
Merry and Bright: An Enchanted Holiday Evening One of the prettiest nights at Pullen Park. Lakeside strolls, live music, rides, postcard-making, and a North Pole visit. Proceeds benefit Play It Forward. Nov 29 • Pullen Park 🔗 Website
Light Up Main Downtown Garner brings the small-town holiday energy. Shopping, music, neighbors everywhere, and the tree lighting with Mayor Buddy Gupton and Santa. Nov 29 • Main Street, Garner 🔗 Website
Live Music and Performances
Mike Mello A stand-up veteran with nearly twenty years of stage time. Nov 26 • Goodnights Comedy Club 🔗 Website
Elf The Musical The Buddy story you know and love, but bigger and brighter on stage at DPAC. Nov 26–30 • DPAC 🔗 Website
Joe Gatto Impractical Jokers fans know. He mixes storytelling with crowd energy, and it always lands. Nov 28 • Goodnights Comedy Club 🔗 Website
The Embers Christmas Beach music royalty doing holiday favorites, led by Craig Woolard. Nov 26 • Fuquay-Varina Arts Center 🔗 Website
Cirque Holiday Pops Acrobats and contortionists performing alongside the North Carolina Symphony. Nov 26, 28, 29 • Raleigh 🔗 Website
If you’re thinking about moving in 2026 or just want to see what holiday life looks like in different communities, reply and tell me where. I’ve got you.
Markets, Shopping, and More
Handcrafted DURM Holiday Market A relaxed brewery setting with local makers, treats, and a costume contest. Nov 29 • Durham 🔗 Website
Jingle Jammies PJ Party Boxcar goes full pajama day. Cereal-inspired cocktails, cartoons, and a holiday movie loop. Nov 29 • Downtown Raleigh 🔗 Website
Durham Craft Shop Small Market Fifty-plus local artisans, all small businesses and artist-run. Easy place to buy unique gifts without guessing. Nov 29 • Durham Central Park 🔗 Website
Repticon For reptile lovers and the reptile curious. Vendors, breeders, and educators all under one roof. Nov 29–30 • Raleigh 🔗 Website
On-Going Holiday Experiences
North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival Handcrafted lanterns, live performances, and walk-through displays that never get old. This is one of Triangle's staples you must revisit every year. Nov 15–Jan 11 • Booth Amphitheatre, Cary 🔗 Website
FestiBull of Lights Durham Bulls Athletic Park turns into a glowing winter playground. It’s an easy pick for families or anyone who just wants to wander and take it all in. Nov 20–Jan 3 • Durham Bulls Athletic Park 🔗 Website
And of course, if you end up checking out any of these, let me know how it went. I’m always curious what spots become your new traditions 😝
🎥 Where I Would Live If I Were Moving To Raleigh, NC TODAY
Turkey season hits different this year because NC State just landed a pretty iconic honor. Gobble and Waddle (yes, those are their real names) are officially the 2025 National Thanksgiving Turkeys.
Picture this: two very handsome toms getting a White House visit, a presidential pardon, and then moving into their climate-controlled Raleigh retirement suite. You name it 😂
Here’s where it gets interesting:
These birds were raised right here in Wayne County, which is one of the biggest poultry-producing regions in the state. Poultry here is one of those things you don’t fully understand until you live in North Carolina. It’s everywhere. It fuels about $40 billion in our economy. That’s huge!
So why NC State?
NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) has some of the top poultry experts in the country, and it’s one of only six poultry science departments nationwide. They’ve actually hosted these presidential turkeys before, back in 2022, so this isn’t their first rodeo. But it gets better, because these birds help shine a spotlight on the science, jobs, and research that power one of North Carolina’s biggest industries.
And wait until you hear the numbers...
North Carolina is No. 1 in the nation for turkey production by weight. No. 2 by headcount at around 27 million birds. Over 5,000 farms. Nearly 150,000 jobs connected to poultry. Almost 10 percent of the nation’s total poultry output. (N.C. Poultry Federation)
And these two?
They’re not just here to hang out. Gobble and Waddle will be out and about as educational ambassadors at events like Farm Animal Days, Ag Awareness Week, and even the State Fair. I can’t wait for you guys to see how kids react. These turkeys are basically local influencers now!
Here’s the thing.
This whole tradition is fun and a little quirky, but it also shines a light on an industry that keeps North Carolina running. From research to jobs to the farms that raised these birds in the first place, it’s a reminder of just how much agriculture shapes life here. And honestly, stories like this are exactly what make the Triangle feel so uniquely North Carolina: equal parts serious, surprising, and just downright charming.
I’m a Raleigh-based agent who’s passionate about real estate, local life, and making homeownership feel easy (and fun!). Subscribe and join 2,000+ readers who get the inside scoop every week!
