Turkey Day
Image: Nintendo

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.

Cooking with Franklin on Turkey Day
Image: Nintendo

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.

Cooking Ingredients for Turkey Day
Image: Nintendo

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
  • 3 Manilla Clams
  • Secret Ingredient(s): Scallop
Pumpkin Pie
  • 1 Orange Pumpkin
  • 1 Other Pumpkin (Yellow, White or Green)
  • Secret Ingredient(s): the two remaining colors of pumpkin
Gratin (Northern Hemisphere)
  • 1 Mussel OR 1 Carrot / Potato
  • 1 Random Mushroom (Flat, Round or Skinny) OR 1 Oyster
  • Secret Ingredient(s): Dungeness Crab
Gratin (Southern Hemisphere)
  • 1 Squid
  • 1 Sea Urchin OR 1 Carrot / Potato
  • Secret Ingredient(s): Dungeness Crab
Fish Meunière (Northern Hemisphere)
  • 1 Sea Bass
  • 1 Other Fish (Dab, Olive Flounder or Red Snapper)
  • Secret Ingredient(s): Barred Knifejaw
Fish Meunière (Southern Hemisphere)
  • 1 Sea Bass
  • 1 Random Fish (Olive Flounder or Red Snapper) OR 1 Flour
  • Secret Ingredient(s): Barred Knifejaw

Turkey Day Rewards List

Enjoying Turkey Day with Friends
Image: Nintendo

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
Turkey Day Rug Clam Chowder Recipe
Turkey Day Wall
Turkey Day Wall Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Turkey Day Flooring
Turkey Day Flooring Gratin Recipe
Cornucopia
Cornucopia Fish Meunière Recipe
Turkey Day Casserole Recipe
Turkey Day Casserole Enhancing Recipe w/ Secret Ingredient - Random
Turkey Day Chair Recipe
Turkey Day Chair Enhancing Recipe w/ Secret Ingredient - Random
Turkey Day Decorations Recipe
Turkey Day Decorations Enhancing Recipe w/ Secret Ingredient - Random
Turkey Day Garden Stand Recipe
Turkey Day Garden Stand Enhancing Recipe w/ Secret Ingredient - Random
Turkey Day Hearth Recipe
Turkey Day Hearth Enhancing Recipe w/ Secret Ingredient - Random
Turkey Day Table Recipe
Turkey Day Table Enhancing Recipe w/ Secret Ingredient - Random
Turkey Day Table Setting Recipe
Turkey Day Table Setting Enhancing Recipe w/ Secret Ingredient - Random
Turkey Day Wheat Decor
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!