It’s the week of Thanksgiving, and there’s a lot going on.

In today’s Morning Briefing, we’ll give you a roundup of a variety of stories we’ve done surrounding the holiday. From celebrations, meal planning, restaurant openings to local entertainment, we have you covered.

If you have thoughts or feedback on this newsletter or other news tips, please let me know at Greg.Lynch@coxinc.com.

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The newsletter should take about 4 minutes, 21 seconds to read.

Free holiday meals available Wednesday before Thanksgiving; Feast of Giving to return next year

Miami Valley Meals will host the fifth consecutive Turkey Takeaway event on Wednesday, providing free Thanksgiving meals to the public.

• Where to go: Trotwood-Madison High School and the University of Dayton Arena from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday.

• What to do: Guests should remain in their vehicles and follow volunteer direction and signage for meal pickup.

• Volunteer: Those interested in supporting MVM’s mission through volunteering or with a donation can visit miamivalleymeals.org for more information.

• Feast of Giving: The primary sponsor of the event, the Feast of Giving, plans to return to in-person events next Thanksgiving. That event usually brought around 7,000 people together at the Dayton Convention Center between 2009 to 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic put the in-person event on pause.

5 local businesses feature Thanksgiving-inspired food creations

• CULTURE By Chef Dane: The Thanksgiving sandwich includes house smoked turkey, jalapeno cornbread stuffing, collard greens, gravy, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce all on toasted challah bread.

• Death Grip Donuts: The food truck has launched two Thanksgiving-inspired donuts:

— Mash Tater (a donut topped with a mound of mashed potatoes, melted cheddar cheese, crispy bacon and a sprinkle of chives)

— Thankful as Cluck (a donut loaded with mashed potatoes, herbed stuffing, a slice of turkey, cranberry sauce and a pipette of gravy)

• Taste of Belgium: Their Thanksgiving Waffle features a pumpkin-infused waffle split in two that’s topped with roasted turkey, arugula, cranberry sauce and cheese. The waffle is served alongside sweet potato fries.

• Tony & Pete’s: Their Thanksgiving Sandwich features local turkey, sharp cheddar, Calabrian, cranberry jam, arugula, Dijon, French’s fried onions and a side of house made lemon Dijon gravy for dunking.

• The Ugly Duckling: A collaboration between Blazin’ Dayton Spice Co. and Uncle Boof’s World Famous Pancake Mix in Dayton’s St. Anne’s Hill Historic District is featuring two new dinner specials.

— The Gobbler (a turkey burger topped with smoked gouda, stuffing and turkey gravy)

— The Thanksgiving Pie (an olive oil-based pizza topped with turkey, green beans and dried cranberries)

Restaurants open on Thanksgiving in the Dayton region

• Open for business: Here are a selection of seven restaurants open on Thanksgiving day in the Dayton area, including their location, hours and some information about their holiday menu.

How to watch and stream the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The holiday season really kicks off when the massive helium balloons start floating through New York.

• By the numbers: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade — two years away from its 100th birthday — this year will feature 17 giant character balloons, 22 floats, 15 novelty and heritage inflatables, 11 marching bands, 700 clowns, 10 performance groups and more stars than can fit around a table.

• What time will it be on? The parade starts at 8:30 a.m., in all time zones.

• What channel? It will be on NBC.

• Who are some of the stars performing? Jennifer Hudson will perform, as will Kylie Minogue and Billy Porter.

• New balloons: There will be six new featured character balloons, including Minnie Mouse, “Extraordinary Noorah” with The Elf on the Shelf, Gabby from “Gabby’s Dollhouse,” Goku from “Dragon Ball,” Marshall from “Paw Patrol” and a new “Spider-Man.”

10 local shows to see during the holidays: ‘Elf in Concert,’ ‘Nutcracker,’ ‘Littlest Angel’ and more

World premieres, local premieres, classic opera, intimate cabaret, a variety show, and a feel-good film are among the appealing options heading across local stages this holiday season.

• Here is a rundown of local holiday entertainment.