Students enjoy Thanksgiving meal in Wiley Dining Court.

One of the most beloved holiday traditions on campus continued this year with Dining & Culinary serving up its annual Thanksgiving feast. Students lined up early and stayed late to enjoy this year’s feast. 

Planning for the Thanksgiving meal begins during the summer. Dining & Culinary staff build menus months out, encouraging input from chefs and each dining court to add their own flair to the menu, and forecast numbers to determine how much food to order. The days leading up to the meal take preparation from everyone from students to full-time staff to prepare food, decorate the dining courts and ensure every fine detail has been handled.

This year’s servings included 5,200 pounds of turkey, 2,150 pounds of ham, 225 gallons of gravy, 500 gallons of mashed potatoes, 13,500 rolls, 450 gallons of cider and 1,200 pies. As the doors opened at 7 p.m. on November 21^st, one student exclaimed, “I don’t know where to start!” 

Students from PMO perform Christmas carols in Hillenbrand Dining Court.

Adding to the holiday spirit were students from Purdue Musical Organizations, who stopped by to perform carols as they prepared for the Purdue Christmas Show. 

Student favorites this year included turkey, pumpkin mousse, pumpkin pie and apple cider – and many exclaimed that they wished that Thanksgiving meals be served year-round! Dining courts saw an increase in guests, with Earhart Dining Court seeing a 54 percent increase in traffic from last year.

Student employees prepare for Thanksgiving.

Despite having to navigate challenges – such as a broken dish machine during the meal – staff pulled together to deliver a memorable night for students. We thank everyone involved for their efforts to ensure a memorable night for our residents.

Enjoy more photos from Thanksgiving below.