Making Thanksgiving Traditions in Connecticut Last Updated: September 2023
Photo: Gozzi’s Turkey Farm
Thanksgiving is about coming together with family or friends. And in Connecticut, we’ve got all kinds of ways to make the holiday even more special. Here are a few ideas for safely celebrating Thanksgiving in Connecticut this year.
Farm to Your Table
Making the Thanksgiving meal for two or twenty? Start with local ingredients from one of these great Connecticut farms, including turkeys (be sure to order ahead). Find a farm near you on this list of Connecticut farms and farm stands. CT Grown providers have local products to help with Farm-to-Table holiday meals.
- Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm, Sterling
- Gozzi’s Turkey Farm, Guilford
- March Farm, Bethlehem
- Clark Farms at Bushy Hill Orchard, Granby, for fresh produce and freshly baked pies
- Holmberg Orchards, Gales Ferry, for wine, cider, vegetables, and more
- Silverman’s Farm in Easton, pies, baked treats, local honey, and syrups
- Maple Bank Farm, Roxbury, for potatoes, acorn and butternut squash, and more
Serving wine? Find perfect pairings along the Connecticut Wine Trail.
Let Someone Else Do the Cooking
Here are just a handful of the many restaurants around Connecticut that are open for Thanksgiving. Be sure to call for reservations and times.
A Little Less Traditional
These places put a spin on the traditional holiday meal.
- Bear's Smokehouse in Hartford, South Windsor, New Haven, and Windsor offers take-out options, including whole smoked turkeys, smoked glazed hams, brisket, and baby back ribs.
- The buffet at the Thanksgiving at the Simsbury Inn offers a wide range of selections, children under 5 eat for free.
- Millwright's Restaurant in Simsbury is offering a three-course prix fixe dinner with a family-style dessert plate.
- You can pre-order Thanksgiving carryout kits, complete with the fixings, or dine in for a three-course plated Thanksgiving dinner at J. Gilbert's in Glastonbury.
- If you like a buffet-style Thanksgiving dinner, try one of these: the Grand Thanksgiving Brunch Buffet at Mystic Hilton and Madison Beach Hotel, or Water's Edge Resort & Spa in Westbrook.
Work off the Calories
If one of your Thanksgiving traditions is lacing up your sneakers and running for a good cause, don't fear! Your favorite road race may not be drawing crowds this year, but that doesn't mean you can't still participate. Here are a few Connecticut turkey trots that have gone virtual: