The leaves are down. The clocks have turned back. We’re donning sweaters, vests and boots. It finally rained.

And we know what comes next: the best holiday of the year! The one that isn’t about candy. Or presents. Or flipping the calendar.

This is the one where we all get together — the cousin from Maine, the friend from Australia, the sister from Texas — to celebrate gratitude. And with it comes food. Lots and lots of good food. Turkey, mashed, sweet — pecan, pumpkin and apple.

We want your Thanksgiving to be joyful and delicious, so we’ve created this guide. Whether you’re looking for where to get your bird or how to source vegan takeout or where to buy knockout desserts, here are our recommendations for all-things Thanksgiving. 

Feasts are more fun when someone else does the cleaning. Here are 10 Jersey restaurants to visit this Thanksgiving. Reserve now! 10 excellent NJ restaurants open on Thanksgiving Day.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

The answer isn’t as clear, as say, eating out on Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, the two busiest days of the year for restaurants, when restaurants are crowded, service is rushed or downright bad, prices are jacked up and the food, thanks to a stressed and rushed kitchen staff, may be subpar. It’s often a bad idea, those who should know best, chefs and restaurateurs, will tell you. But then again, there’s nothing like home for the holiday, right? Here’s what chefs say.

Thanksgiving is a beast of a meal to prepare. Seven local chefs offer advice on brining, basting, making sides and managing your kitchen. Thanksgiving cooking tips and recipes from 7 North Jersey chefs.

Because turkey just can’t compete with butter and carbs. Here are all the best sides to dress up your Thanksgiving dinner table. Thanksgiving sides are the real star. Where the best ones are sold in North Jersey

Whether you want a classic apple pie or unconventional peanut butter mousse pie, we’ve got you covered. 22 places to get Thanksgiving pies in North Jersey

The first rule when it comes to pairing drinks with Thanksgiving is to drink what you like. If you need more help than that though, look here. Thanksgiving wine and beer recommendations from North Jersey drink experts

Preparing a Thanksgiving meal may be a big undertaking, but there’s no reason it should break the bank. These 12 stores are offering deals for 2024. Don’t want to break the bank this Thanksgiving? 12 stores offering meal deals for 2024

If you’re in a turkey rut — bored, or disappointed, or both — why not, like me, take the advice of Daguin and chefs and food industry professionals this Thanksgiving, and try a different bird. An alt-turkey, if you will. A capon is one option — or consider a heritage turkey, duck or goose. Chefs weigh in.

A fool-proof Thanksgiving: Top tips from NJ chefs to make the holiday stress-free

Still, hosting is, let’s not kid ourselves, work. But it doesn’t have to be nerve-wracking work. You can lessen the stress, perhaps even eliminate it. How? We asked the experts — professional cooks and restaurateurs — for their fool-proof tips. Follow their advice and you may find you have even more reasons to be grateful this year. Here’s to a happy, delicious and stress-reduced or even stress-free holiday.

A night spent at a local hometown bar, Thanksgiving Eve has seemingly grown into its own holiday. Here’s where to celebrate in North Jersey. Reunite with your hometown friends on Thanksgiving Eve at these 14 North Jersey bars.

With political tensions high, this is liable to be a fraught Thanksgiving. Here’s how to change the subject at the dinner table. For Thanksgiving: 20 things to talk about that aren’t politics

Prepare for a road trip

We are back to pre-pandemic traffic jams and gridlock alert days this holiday season. Read it: From our archives, our former Road Warrior columnist John Cichowski offers tips for staying safe — and sane. 

For decades, “March of the Wooden Soldiers,” a.k.a. “Babes in Toyland,” has been a Thanksgiving tradition on WPIX TV. The movie turns 90 this year. How Laurel, Hardy, and some wooden soldiers became a Thanksgiving tradition.

The Thanksgiving ‘kids table’ is one of the few remaining places where adults and children are still sorted by age. How come there’s a children’s table at Thanksgiving?

Let others do the cooking 

It’s exhausting grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning and serving, no matter how much you might enjoy some of those chores. (I’m down to liking one: cooking.) Treat yourself to a break this year. Let others do the heavy lifting. And you’ve got choices too. Three, in fact: You can order an entire feast from a restaurant. You can cook the turkey and just ordering the sides. Or you can make a reservation at a restaurant open on Thanksgiving Day. But hurry: restaurants on Turkey Day get booked quickly. 

Also, if there’s a vegan at your table, no worries: we know where to get vegan takeout too.

Catering options:Where to find Thanksgiving catering for every taste and price-point in North Jersey

In Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic counties, food pantries are gearing up to distribute turkeys and other items for Thanksgiving meals. Food pantries that are serving Thanksgiving meals.

Whether you’re looking to get ahead on your holiday shopping, sip on season cocktails or listen to live music, there’s plenty to do in North Jersey. Don’t know what to do over Thanksgiving weekend? Here are 8 fun activities in North Jersey.

Bring the perfect hostess gift

From tea towels to a carving set, we have great ideas so you don’t show up at someone else’s feast empty handed. 

Where to dine:Check out what these North Jersey restaurants are serving on Thanksgiving Day

Side dishes for Thanksgiving, from our staffers

We, journalists, do Thanksgiving too. Here are a few of our favorite recipes. We welcome you to give them a try! 

There are three basic methods of brining turkey, and editor Liz Johnson (who was a food writer for many years) reveals her favorite. After more than 10 years of cooking Thanksgiving turkey — it was the first time she didn’t use a recipe. And it was the most flavorful of her life — so far. Read it: Just salt the darn bird!

Taste of home

After a loved one dies, how do you recreate their signature Thanksgiving dish. A couple of years ago, columnist Bill Ervolino gave it a try.

Get ready — now

There’s no better stress-buster than timely preparation. Doing stuff last minute is not only anxiety provoking but not particularly wise. Stores are crowded, shelves somewhat light and traffic’s a nightmare. You’ve got time now to get your bird, plan your stuffing and learn how to make the juiciest, tenderest, “bestest” turkey. Here’s a timeline so you can stay organized and get ahead, making Turkey Day a breeze.

Figuring out what — and how much — turkey and side dishes to make can be mind-boggling and sometimes frightening. We offer a cheat sheet to help you start planning for your Thanksgiving or other holiday dinner. Red it: Turkey and the fixings: How much per person? Tips for your holiday feast

Get a fresh bird

They say there’s no difference between fresh and frozen turkey, but some of us — call us purists — prefer fresh. If nothing else, there’s no thawing required. Where to get your fresh bird.

Get a free bird

What is up with the free turkey at ShopRite? We go behind the cult of spending enough to earn the bird.

Let your wannabe-chef friends slave all day making everything from scratch. But, come on, there are only so many hours in a day and only so many potatoes one can stand peeling, mashing and whipping in a day. Don’t sweat it. There are shortcuts your can take. We even asked chefs for their approval. Read it: Hacks to make your Thanksgiving less stressful.

8 tips for cooking the best bird ever

Whether it’s your first time cooking turkey for Thanksgiving or your 30th, there’s a good chance you still feel a tad unsure. Relax. First, know that your loved ones will love you even if the turkey breasts turn out dry. Second, your turkey breasts won’t taste dry. Not if you follow the tips below, courtesy of Nick Lang, a Wegmans chef, who’s roasted thousands of turkeys over the years. Read it: 8 tips for cooking the best turkey ever.

Choose a great stuffing

Need proof that Thanksgiving is about excess? Stuffing is food that comes out of other food, staff reporter Jim Beckerman writes. It is the very emblem of excess. Read it: What to know about stuffing, plus nifty stuffing recipes.  

Make a legendary casserole

Maybe your grandma made it. Maybe your mom did. Or maybe you never ever had Haddonfield resident Dorcas Reilly’s famous green bean casserole. What’s in it? Let’s just say green beans are the healthy part. The rest comes out of a can or a fry pan. Sure, have a laugh. But, try it and odds are your guests won’t be laughing just swooning. Read it:How to make Reilly’s casserole. 

Whistle while you work

Thanksgiving in North Jersey, a playlist by northjersey.com on Spotify

Need a playlist for those hours in the kitchen? Or just want to put on some music while you’re enjoying your meal? No worries — we’ve got you covered with our Thanksgiving Day Spotify playlist.

Get the booze

Don’t know what to drink with your bird? We asked the experts. Their recommendations. 

Get the desserts

Everyone knows dessert is the best course. Kids certainly do. Leave the baking to local pastry chefs and get their delicious, delightful, divine pies for the holiday. The sweet tooths around your table will be grateful.

And, when it’s all over? What to binge-watch

Not a football fan? You can revisit old reliables like “The Godfather” series, or catch up on the new show that everyone’s been raving about. Meanwhile, there’s this advantage: you’ll be strangely absent when it comes time to volunteer for cleanup. Jim Beckerman has suggestions on what to watch.