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How to Host A Friendsgiving
5 tips for hosting a Friendsgiving (with recipes!)
Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. The weather is that perfect crispness, the leaves are still on the trees, and the entire country comes to celebrate around food.
The idea of an entire day devoted to a meal is magical to me. And it doesn’t hurt that the flavors are so quintessentially autumnal. So comforting, and so delicious.
And while Thanksgiving is officially November 24th, one of my favorite activities in the month prior is to host a Friendsgiving.
The other week I had the absolute pleasure of hosting an outdoor Friendsgiving with our friends in Detroit. My sister was in town for the week, and she and I cooked all day in preparation (like a true Thanksgiving!).
It was one of my favorite nights I’ve had in Detroit so far. Everyone dressed up in their cutest fall outfits (my text to everyone was literally “dress like you’re in an L.L. Bean catalog”), and we all sat on the most perfect plaid picnic blanket while stuffing our faces with cheeses and cider sangria.
And I have to say, it turned out as well as I could’ve imagined. The weather was perfect, the conversation flowed, and we drank a lot of cider sangria.
So interested in planning a Friendsgiving of your own? Here are 5 tips for hosting a Friendsgiving.
1. Plan things in advance so you know exactly what everyone is bringing. Don’t simply ask your friends to contribute, because you will inevitably end up with 5 different chips and salsas. Instead, ask if they can bring a salad, an appetizer, or a dessert. Talk through specific recipes with people and see what sparks individual interests.
2. On that note, ask everyone to bring their dish in some sort of tupperware or recyclable material. This way, when you’re done eating, you can easily re-pack up leftovers. And if you eat everything, you can ixnay the container!
3. Have 1 person be the “props” person. In lieu of bringing food, this person is responsible for things like blankets, cups, and utensils. If you want to go all-out, this person can also bring serving plates and bowls. But keep things rustic- we used pie tins, a galvanized tray, and metal plates for serving.
4. If you’re doing your Friendsgiving at a park or outdoor space, show up 30 minutes in advance. That way you can scope out the best location and get everything ready before people show up with their dishes.
5. Bring a camera. Because your Friendsgiving. is going to be the most photogenic thing ever.
In addition, I’m sharing 5 recipes we made for our Friendsgiving that are just as simple to prepare as they are delicious to eat. Each recipe was made by a different friend.
And a huge THANK YOU to my friends for making this the best Friendsgiving ever! I feel so grateful to have you in my life.
Enjoy! Xx.
I love the photography for this post!!! It’s beautiful and the food looks delicious! Thanks for sharing.
omg EPIC friendsgiving, and this post + photography made me so happy. Inspired for next years Canadian T-gives! -Mere
NAILED IT.