Thanksgiving is just one of the many annual events celebrated in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, branded in-game as 'Turkey Day'. Yummy!
In this guide we'll take you through everything you need to know about the Turkey Day event and Franklin the turkey.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Turkey Day (Thanksgiving) Event Guide
Thanksgiving Event Times on Turkey Day
Turkey Day festivities will occur on November 25th 2021 — America's Thanksgiving holiday — from 6:00am to 10:00pm. Special Thanksgiving-themed music will also be heard playing on your island — another clue the holiday is underway.
Where is Franklin?
At the time of the event, Franklin the Turkey will set up his cooking table outside of Resident Services, along with festive tables and decorations for villagers — who will be donning hats, holding plates and drinks, and celebrating the holiday in the plaza. There, he'll be preparing for a feast, and he'll recruit you as his assistant.
Everything You Can Do for Thanksgiving on Turkey Day
As Franklin's assistant, you'll be tasked with helping him gather ingredients and materials for the Harvest Festival feast — and for crafting Turkey Day-themed rewards.
Starting at 9am, you can speak to Franklin to get instructions on ingredients needed for different Thanksgiving-themed recipes he plans to cook up.
Turkey Day Ingredients List
Of course, as many players of previous Animal Crossing games will remember, assisting Franklin on Turkey Day involves collecting requested items and ingredients to prepare various dishes he'll be cooking.
For each course, you'll be asked to gather four items — three main ingredients, and one secret ingredient.
You'll receive some fairly straightforward hints about the main ingredients, but the secret one will simply be alluded to. If you're missing any of the necessary ingredients, or are unable to collect certain ones, you can trade fish with other villagers inside their homes. This is also how you can uncover hints about the secret ingredients Franklin will require to enhance each dish.
Below is a complete list of all possible ingredients that may be requested by Franklin on Turkey Day, as well as where to get them:
| Ingredient | How to Acquire |
| Barred Knifejaw | Fishing in ocean |
| Carrot | Grown using Carrot starts |
| Dab | Fishing in ocean |
| Dungeness Crab | Diving in ocean |
| Flat Mushroom | Near trees in November |
| Flour / Whole-Wheat Flour | Grown using Wheat Starts (combine 5 wheat at a kitchen to make Flour) |
| Green Pumpkin | Grown using Pumpkin Starts |
| Manila Clam | Dug up on beach |
| Mussel | Diving in ocean |
| Olive Flounder | Fishing in ocean |
| Orange Pumpkin | Grown using Pumpkin Starts |
| Oyster | Diving in ocean |
| Potato | Grown using Potato Starts |
| Red Snapper | Fishing in ocean |
| Round Mushroom | Near trees in November |
| Scallop | Diving in ocean |
| Sea Bass | Fishing in Ocean |
| Sea Urchin | Diving in ocean |
| Skinny Mushroom | Near trees in November |
| Squid | Fishing in ocean |
| White Pumpkin | Grown using Pumpkin Starts |
| Yellow Pumpkin | Grown using Pumpkin Starts |
Turkey Day Recipes List
Once collected, be sure to bring the requested ingredients to Franklin outside Resident Services so that he can whip up the dishes and give you special Turkey Day items.
You can also acquire additional Turkey Day rewards for correctly guessing the secret ingredients Franklin needs to enhance each dish, and giving those to him, as well.
Below is a complete list of Turkey Day recipes that Franklin will want to cook up.
NOTE: For Turkey Day 2021, Franklin has switched up the ingredients he asks for in some cases.
The Secret Ingredients appear to be the same, but the other requests can randomly include a different fish or crops (pulling from the vegetables and flour added in the recent 2.0 update). For example, one of us was asked to make gratin with one Flat Mushroom and one Carrot, plus the secret Dungeness Crab. A friend of ours made it with a Round Mushroom and a Potato.
As such, the following recipes are potential examples only — there appears to be a degree of randomisation at work, with every player asked for different ingredients.
| Recipe | Ingredients |
| Clam Chowder |
|
| Pumpkin Pie |
|
| Gratin (Northern Hemisphere) |
|
| Gratin (Southern Hemisphere) |
|
| Fish Meunière (Northern Hemisphere) |
|
| Fish Meunière (Southern Hemisphere) |
|
Turkey Day Rewards List
After completing all of the tasks and delivered Franklin's required ingredients, he'll get to work cooking up a feast! Your reward will be unique Turkey Day-themed items.
Below is a complete list of all of the Turkey Day rewards Franklin will give you for helping him in his cooking quest — both the regular rewards, and the special items you receive when you enhance his dishes with secret ingredients.
For those you don't collect, you can acquire the collection of "Cozy Turkey Day" DIY recipes from Franklin that day, or the following day at Nook's Cranny:
| Image | Reward | How to Acquire |
 |
Turkey Day Rug | Clam Chowder Recipe |
 |
Turkey Day Wall | Pumpkin Pie Recipe |
 |
Turkey Day Flooring | Gratin Recipe |
 |
Cornucopia | Fish Meunière Recipe |
 |
Turkey Day Casserole | Enhancing Recipe w/ Secret Ingredient - Random |
 |
Turkey Day Chair | Enhancing Recipe w/ Secret Ingredient - Random |
 |
Turkey Day Decorations | Enhancing Recipe w/ Secret Ingredient - Random |
 |
Turkey Day Garden Stand | Enhancing Recipe w/ Secret Ingredient - Random |
 |
Turkey Day Hearth | Enhancing Recipe w/ Secret Ingredient - Random |
 |
Turkey Day Table | Enhancing Recipe w/ Secret Ingredient - Random |
 |
Turkey Day Table Setting | Enhancing Recipe w/ Secret Ingredient - Random |
 |
Turkey Day Wheat Decor | Enhancing Recipe w/ Secret Ingredient - Random |
This article is part of our Animal Crossing: New Horizons walkthrough, which includes a Complete Fish List, Complete Bug List and Complete Sea Creatures List. If you're looking for specific fish or bugs, we can tell you how to catch the elusive Coelacanth, Mahi-Mahi, Giant Trevally, Stringfish, Golden Trout and all the Sharks and Beetles, along with a full list of critters leaving at the end of the month (unless you visit Kapp'n's Boat Tour islands, of course!).
We can also help with How to Spot Redd's Fake Paintings and Statues, How to Make Bells Fast, How to Breed Flowers, How to Get more DIY Recipes, How to Upgrade Nook's Cranny, where and when to find special characters like Gulliver, Sable, Label, Wisp, Celeste, Pirate Gulliver and Jack, plus tips on using the Star Wand, Tool Ring, Rock Trick, Cutting Down and Moving Trees, using amiibo on Harv's Island, How to Back Up Your Island Data, How to Time Travel, How to Get a 5-Star Island Rating and a whole lot more.
If it's new content you're looking for help with, we can help you find gyroids, unlock Brewster's café, use the new Pro Camera App for selfies, enact new ordinances, get the beloved Froggy Chair, and even learn How to Cook.
And finally, Where to Buy Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo Switch, if for some reason you haven't yet picked up the game, and How To Buy The Happy Home Paradise DLC, too!
Comments 20
How to get Sniff gesture ?
@Anti-Matter You need to use Nook Miles at the ATM in Resident Services to unlock Sniff and other reactions!
So if he wants a pumpkin and you don't have one, you're out of luck for today?
@Rayquaza2510 : The villagers who are staying at home will give you the required ingredients in exchange for something else (typically fish).
From what I understand, you don't need to do the secret ingredient thing to get the other furniture. As from tomorrow the recipes will be sold in exchange for nook miles. Keeps us from stressing out on turkey day I guess
There’s something oddly amusing about a British based news site writing an article about a video game spoofing and American/Canadian holiday.
I love this game, but I do wish they used British English so we wouldn't have to read about "Fall" instead of "Autumn"
@Eddiezus
My bad.
I didn't realize if i already have Sniffing gesture from Mile Nook point redeem. 😅
This was a good event, I completed it all by getting the ingredients all by myself with no hints.
Just a handful of fetch quests but seeing the results of your work was super adorable.
Excited to start this, the furniture is super cute.
I love the music for Turkey Day that plays in New Leaf. I wonder if it’ll carry over to New Horizons?
I started this almost as soon as it started. It took me about 30 minutes, but then again I have a large collection of various stuff in my storage.
I really like how the fetch quests were not too hard. And i like the animation and replies from the residents. The rewards are already in my kitchen.
An idea for DLC: a cooking app. And each villager could have a favorite dish that you could discover, a la Spiritfarer (or, favorite coffee like Brewsters)
That said, i am so happy with this game. Yes, i have been playing less and playing other games more, but this game may be my favorite of all time. (Sorry BotW!)
@dugan yeah this game might be my favourite game of all time as well, and I have been playing it daily since the day it came out.
I am also happy with how this event was handled. I had a hard time getting some of the ingredients like the Scallop, and the Red Snapper, but then again I don't really collect fish too often, nor have I ever really gotten a yellow pumpkin before, but luckily I got a yellow pumpkin from one of my villagers.
This event was super fun. I dare say I may have enjoyed this more than Halloween and Halloween is my favorite holiday IRL. I didn't have any materials stored besides mushrooms and pumpkins so it was fun just fishing and deep sea diving with purpose again. Took me a little over an hour and the rewards are nice and will easily carry over into christmas.
I did end up completing all of the recipes, it was a bit of a grind, but it was worth it to have all the recipes... and that I won't have to worry about doing it in the future.
Man I am really missing out. But I am completely out of gaming. When I get home from work I am either too tired to play videogames or I am itching to do something else. Ahhh well, maybe I will return next year.
Compared to how Egg Day was handled, this was a warm and pleasant event. Just my opinion!
@Natsura I am glad you are playing every day also. After donating a new fish or bug to Blathers, the next time I catch something, I put one or two in my storage. (like Noah's ark!) That way when a villager asks me to catch something, I usually have it in my storage. You may already know about this, but it has saved me time when those requests pop up. Enjoy the game!
I thought it was hilarious and more than a bit disturbing that Franklin is aware of what goes on in the real world on Thanksgiving/Turkey Day...
😱😱😬😬
Having trouble finding wheat. Currently on another island looking
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