Today we want to share our brighter, sunnier outdoor Thanksgiving menu and party. Outdoors? you say. Sunnier? Those of us who live in colder climates scurry from car to house in a wintry mix on Thanksgiving, but this year we threw a party with the rest of the country in mind — California, Texas, Florida, and all the blessedly warm regions where folks can enjoy their feasts outdoors in style.

But I think that there’s something here for everyone to love in our California party, regardless of whether you’re wearing a sweater or a sundress. The holiday is a harvest celebration, and our menu honors that, with vegetables at every turn, and casual desserts that are easy to make ahead. Read on for our California-inspired Thanksgiving menu, the relaxed and romantic table ideas, and how the whole shebang went for us and our 10 guests.

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So you’ve made a delicious meal and you’re about to sit down to eat. Maybe you have friends over, or maybe it’s just you. Hold up! Are you forgetting something? Find out what Kelsey Nixon believes to be the most important step to making a good meal great!

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When we got together and threw this year’s outdoor California Thanksgiving bash for The Kitchn I knew I wanted to have a centerpiece that was easy, colorful, and very California. This led me, naturally, into the easiest centerpiece I’ve ever created for a Thanksgiving table, and probably my favorite as well.

You too can do this; I swear it will only take you five minutes.

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When it comes to cranberry sauce, I am a cranberry-plus girl. Cranberries plus dried cherries; cranberries plus booze; and in this particular case, cranberries plus figs. It’s not that cranberries aren’t good on their own (they are!); it’s just that they play so well with so many other things.

This is a rich, jammy cranberry sauce with dried figs and plenty of spices — the perfect complement to our California-inspired Thanksgiving menu this year.

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