Want to attend or volunteer at Hilton Head’s Community Thanksgiving? Here’s what to know

Fall is still a week away on the calendar, but plans are well on the way for Hilton Head’s annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner at Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks.

Dinner and dessert will be served family-style from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thanksgiving day at the restaurant on Squire Pope Road. All meals are free.

“Everyone is welcome! Come alone or bring the whole family,” said Chairwoman Gloria LaCoe in a news release. “It’s always a place to meet new and old friends.”

The tradition, which began in 1999, is sponsored by the restaurant and St. Andrew By-The-Sea United Methodist Church

Typically, more than 1,500 people line up to eat, and around 400 volunteers work behind the scenes to serve them.

Andrew Carmines, owner of Hudson’s, told The Island Packet last year that the event’s turnout seemed a “little lighter” than usual, as the coronavirus continued to circulate throughout the Lowcountry. The event had been canceled in 2020.

This year’s menu includes roasted turkey breast, orange-maple glazed ham, Miss Bessie’s braised ham hock collards, tart cranberry conserve, “Turkey Spiked” whipped potatoes, marshmallow-crusted sweet potato souffle, house-made giblet gravy, Southern cornbread stuffing, French baguettes from The French Bakery and Courtyard Cafe, house-made banana pudding, pumpkin pie and lattice apple pie.

Donations will be accepted on Thanksgiving day and benefit Deep Well Project, Bluffton Self Help and Second Helpings.

Donations also can be made in advance online at www.CommunityThanksgiving.com.

For more information, to volunteer or request a ride, call 843-505-1370 or go to the event’s website or Facebook page.