In Bridgehampton, the date that matters most for Thanksgiving 2026 comes thirteen days before the holiday. Mecox Bay Dairy refunds a turkey deposit in full for cancellations made before Friday, November 13, and a deposit is forfeited for any cancellation after that. Reservations stay open past that date. From there, the hamlet's holiday runs on fixed dates. There is a preorder cutoff on a Sunday night, pickup windows over three days at different addresses, and a museum market the morning after.
Here they are in order, starting this Saturday on Montauk Highway.
November 7 Starts at King Kullen
The first fixed date belongs to the food drive. The Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center's Annual Holiday Food Drive collects donations at King Kullen, 2044 Montauk Highway, on Saturday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Center is asking for the parts of a holiday meal that keep on a shelf. Its list includes stuffing mix, canned vegetables and instant potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce, turkey and ham, and treats such as hot chocolate, marshmallows, cookies and pie filling.
The same evening, the museum holds the season's first program on the hamlet's main road. The Bridgehampton Museum and Canio's are co-sponsoring "The World According to Irving," a talk by playwright Keith Reddin on novelist John Irving. It runs from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Nathaniel Rogers House, 2539 Montauk Highway, and admission is pay-what-you-can.
So the giving side of the holiday starts nearly three weeks before the meal. It also ends early. The drive's second and last scheduled collection is Wednesday, November 18, a full week before most turkeys are picked up.
The Deposit Hardens on the 13th
Mecox Bay Dairy is the farm on Mecox Road, and its Farm Store is open seven days a week. This year it is taking deposits on its pasture-raised turkeys. The deposit is $65, charged when you reserve. The rest is charged at pickup, because the turkeys are priced by the pound.
"Cancellations made before Friday, November 13th will be honored with a full refund of your deposit. Cancellations made after that date will forfeit your $65 deposit. Deposits for orders placed after the 15th are non-refundable."
So the guest count has to be roughly settled by mid-November. Mecox gives a rule of thumb to help with that. It recommends 1.5 to 2 pounds of turkey per person, which leaves plenty of leftovers. You order by weight range, with brackets running from 14–16 pounds up to 30-plus, and the farm aims to find a bird within two pounds of the range you choose. At those numbers, ten guests means an 18-to-20-pound bird, and a 26-to-28-pound bird covers about fourteen to eighteen people. Mecox also says it will email in early November to remind customers to pick up.
The museum also has a program on the 13th. "The Gathering: Grants for Artists", with Patty Eljaiek of the Huntington Arts Council, runs from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Nathaniel Rogers House.
The Week Between Belongs to the Museum and the Church
The next day, Saturday, November 14, has two evening events. The Bridgehampton Museum and USA Warrior Stories open "East End Veterans Voices" from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Nathaniel Rogers House. The exhibition brings together veterans' art, photographs, video interviews and memorabilia. At 5 p.m. the same evening, Bridgehampton Chamber Music presents "Love Stories: Beethoven to Gershwin" at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church.
On Wednesday, November 18, the food drive holds its second collection at the Center itself, 551 Bridgehampton–Sag Harbor Turnpike, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Outside those two mornings, donations can be left at Margo's Cottage at The Center on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gloria Cannon, the Center's Food Pantry Supervisor, takes questions at 631-537-0616, ext. 107.
That November 18 morning is the last scheduled collection. By then the giving calendar is over, and there are still eight days to Thanksgiving.
Raw or Ready Decides the Next Deadline
The second ordering deadline is the Sunday before the holiday. L&W Market, which calls itself Bridgehampton's neighborhood market, takes Thanksgiving preorders until 6 p.m. on Sunday, November 22. Its turkeys aren't the same product as the Mecox birds. The two options suit different hosts, and each has its own timing.
| Mecox Bay Dairy | L&W Market | |
|---|---|---|
| The bird | Fresh, pasture-raised, priced per pound | Free-range heritage, brined, buttered and trussed |
| Price | $65 deposit; the rest by weight at pickup | $179 for 14–16 lb; $249 for 18–20 lb |
| Serves | 1.5–2 lb per person, Mecox's guideline | 6–10 for medium; 12–16 for large |
| Order terms | Deposit refundable before Nov. 13 | Order by Sun., Nov. 22, 6 p.m. |
| Pickup | The Farm Store, Tue., Nov. 24 or Wed., Nov. 25, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. | At Almond, Wed., Nov. 25, 2–4 p.m. or Thu., Nov. 26, 9–11 a.m. |
The L&W bird comes in its own roasting pan with cooking instructions, ready for the oven. The same menu includes starters, such as a $129 cheese board of local and imported cheeses with nuts and dried fruit, and a dozen deviled eggs for $19.50. Almond's own Thanksgiving page sends diners to L&W.
The two serving guides line up. A 14-to-16-pound bird feeds about seven to ten people under Mecox's per-person rule, and L&W rates the same size for six to ten. Either way, the guest count has to be known before the cutoff.
Wednesday the 25th Carries the Most Weight
Every turkey pickup in the hamlet lands within a three-day stretch, and Wednesday has the most going on.
- Tuesday, November 24: The first Mecox pickup day, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Farm Store.
- Wednesday, November 25: The second Mecox day, also 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mecox holds each reservation only until 4 p.m. that afternoon. A turkey that hasn't been collected by then, with no other arrangement made, goes to someone on the farm's wait list. L&W's Wednesday pickup at Almond runs from 2 to 4 p.m., so both turkey windows close at the same hour. The Hampton Library closes at 5 p.m. that day.
- Thursday, November 26: L&W's last pickup window, 9 to 11 a.m. at Almond. The Hampton Library is closed for the holiday.
For the rest of the table, Round Swamp Farm has its Bridgehampton market at 97 School Street, behind Bobby Van's in the municipal parking area. It lists 2026 store hours of Tuesday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday at Topping Rose, Friday in the Tractor Barn
For a host who would rather not cook, the holiday has one fixed reservation. Jean-Georges at Topping Rose House, at 1 Bridgehampton–Sag Harbor Turnpike, is holding its annual Thanksgiving dinner on November 26 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is a $168 prix fixe per person, booked through Resy. Like the turkey orders, it runs on a reservation made well before the holiday.
On Friday, November 27, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Bridgehampton Museum's Gourmet Market fills the Tractor Barn at 2368 Montauk Highway with local and regional food makers. They sell artisan breads, baked goods, chocolates, confections and specialty foods. The museum pitches it for the holiday table and for gifts.
I've spent more than thirty Novembers here, and I know these holiday dates as well as I know the hamlet's seasonal rhythms. If you're thinking about how a Bridgehampton home fits the way your family spends its holidays, or about timing a move around the off-season, Jane Babcook would be glad to talk it through. Contact Jane.