4 Reasons to Spend Thanksgiving in Savannah

It may be an odd idea to spend a major Holiday in a place that isn’t your home, but who says you can’t stray from tradition for a year and treat yourself and your family to a little Thanksgiving vacation away from home? Savannah is a great place to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family and kick off the start of the holidays! 

Here are four reasons you should come to Savannah this year for Thanksgiving. 

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1 – Experience a home cooked meal without the home cooking

For some of us, Thanksgiving requires a full day of stressful table-setting and menu accommodations before you even begin cooking. This of course is followed by all the subsequent dishes that need to be cleaned or packaged as leftovers. Here is a time saving tip for having the best of both worlds. Instead of fully cooking your Thanksgiving Day meal, you can order ahead to get several sides from some of the best local restaurants in town to cut down on your cooking time. 

A favorite option is The Olde Pink House, known for their mac and cheese and Southern greens. 

Other options include:

• Emporium Kitchen & Wine Market
• J Thomas Kitchen

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2 – Eat out on Thanksgiving

If you don’t want to eat at your home away from home (your Airbnb or Vrbo rental), there are several walkable local restaurants that will be open on Thanksgiving Day, some even providing a traditional take on Thanksgiving dishes you know and love. 

Here are a few that will be open on Thanksgiving Day:

• Collins Quarter
• Treylor Park - Hitch
• Ordinary Pub
• Pirate’s House

This is not an extensive list, just a few of the places South Key Management recommends. 

Eating out on Thanksgiving is a great way to switch it up and support the local restaurants. 

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3 – Shop Small Businesses on Black Friday

Black Friday has become a bit overdone the past few years, but we are happy that here in Savannah it is still a great day to go support all the local shops and boutiques. From Broughton Street to City Market, you will find shops with all the items you need to cross people off your Christmas shopping lists. 

Nourish, is a great local option that usually has some great Black Friday deals. 

If boutiques are not your thing, there are also options for more traditional Black Friday shopping, you can always check out the Tanger Outlets in Pooler, GA (20 mins from Savannah) or Oglethorpe Mall where there will certainly be lots of deals on Black Friday into the weekend.  

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4 – Kick off the Holiday Season early

The weekend after Thanksgiving is when some of the traditional Savannah Holiday activities start. You can get into the Holiday spirit early (or right on time) with these three events:

• Elf the Musical at the Historic Savannah Theatre – If you are visiting Savannah sometime between November 4^th and November 27^th, make sure to catch a live showing of  ‘Elf the Musical’, a fun and music filled adaptation of the hit movie. It’s the perfect show for the entire family! 
• Christmas Tree Lighting - This is an annual tradition that takes place immediately after Thanksgiving on Friday, Nov. 26, at Bull and Broughton streets. For more information and updates check the City of Savannah’s webpage.
• Annual Boat Parade of Lights – this annual tradition that has been happening for 20 years, will take place on Saturday November 26^th at 8pm. Join spectators along the wharf or River Street for this free show supporting the Greenbriar Children’s Center. 

Whether or not you considered traveling for Thanksgiving before, South Key Management knows that you will not regret spending your holidays in gorgeous Savannah. Don't wait to book available accommodations on our website now to secure the perfect vacation rental stay for you and your family downtown, while skipping the unnecessary third-party booking fees!

South Key Management is the key to your Southern comfort – especially during the holidays!