Thanksgiving for the Taking: 5 Alternatives to Turkey Dinners This Nov 26-27
Last week we brought you a list of the city’s many classic Thanksgiving feasts, but what about those who are looking for an alternative holiday experience? Don’t worry, we got you covered as well. Here are a few events that do – or do not – involve traditional Thanksgiving pomp and circumstance to varying degrees. Dig in!
Nov 26: 5k Run/Walk Turkey Trot
While Thanksgiving is largely known as a day to worship the holy waistline with abundant offerings and sacrificial turkeys, it also has a surprising fitness component – and no, we’re not talking about watching football on the couch. We’re talking about the traditional Turkey Trot, a staple of Thanksgiving mornings and sure fire way to feel slightly less guilty when it becomes impossible to tell where the blood in your veins stops and the gravy begins. This year, Beijing United Family Hospital is teaming up with the American Chamber of Commerce to host a 5k run/walk Turkey Trot at Chaoyang Park. Snacks and drinks will be provided, as well as a BJU physiotherapist to guide you through some pre- and post-trot stretches. All you have to do is pay the requisite RMB 5 for park admission. To find out more and register, click here. RMB 5. 7-8.30am. Chaoyang Park West Gate
Nov 26: Thanksgiving Tasting 4.0
In what has become a regular event for Beijing’s community of agave aficionados, Pebbles is launching their Tequila Tasting 4.0… this time, however, it’s got a Thanksgiving twist. For RMB 458, guests will be treated to ten varieties of mezcal, tequila, raicilla, and a Mexican aperitivo, paired with turkey breast covered in adobo gravy and chipotle carrot puree, as well as pulled turkey leg on a bed of plantain tamales with ancho cranberry sauce. RMB 458. 7-11pm. Pebbles Courtyard
Nov 26: Thanksgiving Speed Dating Party
To be sure, Thanksgiving isn’t the most flattering of holidays. Any celebration involving greasy turkey legs, thick gravy, and crumbly cornbread is bound to get a little… shall we say, barbaric. And yet, perhaps such a sloven, gluttonous occasion is the perfect time to find your sweetheart. For if they love you at your worst – that is, with Brussel sprouts stuck in your wine-stained teeth – then they will doubtlessly love you at your best. That’s why, on Thanksgiving night, Aurora and Wellcee are teaming up to bring you a very special speed dating event! For RMB 98, 25 men and 25 women can enjoy turkey, champagne, shots, and beer during a night stuffed with more activities than the backside of a holiday bird. For more information, and to put your heart on the line, click here. RMB 98. 8.30pm-late. Aurora
Nov 27: Super Lit Thanksgiving Party
This year, give thanks to all those intrepid hip-hop trailblazers and R&B explorers who boldly ventured forth into the unknown – bravely carving a path through new worlds of vibe and groove – at Sugar House’s Super Lit Thanksgiving Party. Resident DJs 4TAEL and Dirty Dishes pay tribute to the pioneers of dancehall, afrobeat, house, hip-hop, R&B, and more with a cornucopia of jams so hot they'd get even the most puritanical of pilgrims flush in their knickers. For more info, click here. RMB 80-100. 9.30pm-2am. Yue Space
Nov 26-27: Winter Matsuri at Hyatt Regency Beijing Wangjing
Why not just say, “To hell with Thanksgiving and autumn” altogether and jump straight into winter with Shunpachi’s Winter Matsuri dinner at the Hyatt Regency Beijing Wangjing? Featuring a stellar lineup of chefs, bartenders, and live music, the team will be trading in that giant turkey for a giant tuna at the “Bluefin Tuna Carving Show,” a nine-course spectacle that’s part meal, part entertainment, and entirely delicious. The RMB 688 set menu comes complete with free-flow champagne and wine. Other special events include a private dining room Perrier Jouët Champagne dinner for RMB 999 on Nov 26, followed by a similar nine-course menu on Nov 27 with free-flow sake, and an RMB 999 exclusive sake pairing dinner with Shunpachi’s sake sommelier. Both nights will carry into the evening at the Music Bar with guest bartenders and live music, beginning at 9pm. To reserve your spot, call 10-8630-1234. 6pm-late. Hyatt Regency Beijing Wangjing
READ: Make Like a Turkey and Gobble up These Thanksgiving Deals Around Town
Images: National Audobon Society, Yayo Davila (via Unsplash), Reddit, Sugar House, Francesco Majo (via Unsplash)
