Thanksgiving Weekend is brought to you by these Florida lobbyists and political organizations

It’s Turkey Time, people.

While there’s technically no right or wrong way to celebrate Thanksgiving, that trek to the grocery store where you end up fighting the masses for a single can of cranberries is as good a sign as any that the fourth Thursday in November is near.

While Floridians have plenty of options, Publix remains the go-to for many. Whether you’re grabbing your turkey, sides, drinks, or the essentials for the aftermath, you can’t go wrong in the place “where shopping is a pleasure.” Teye Carmichael, Steve Crisafulli, Jeff Hartley, Samuel Powell and Jonathan Rees of SBM Partners, as well as in-house lobbyist Thomas Culligan, are on Publix’s team.

Walmart, meanwhile, usually lands on the lower end of prices and shines during the holiday season. Bethany McAlister of The Southern Group, along with Michael Corcoran, Jacqueline Corcoran, Matt Blair, Noah Corcoran, Brian Ford, Jeff Hawes, Will Rodriguez, Carlos San Jose and Andrea Tovar of Corcoran Partners, are on the Walmart roster. There may be no such thing as a quick trip to Walmart — it’s a never-ending maze — but who doesn’t enjoy a good ol’ fashioned rollback.

Of course, you’ll need some booze, too. Your uncle is surely a great man, but his conspiracy theories about 5G are far more tolerable (and funnier) after your third glass of aged red or a locally brewed lager. If you have the time, and if you’re willing to break up your grocery stops, Jorge Chamizo and Melissa Ramba of Floridian Partners have a top-tier recommendation: Total Wine.

Feeling in over your head with all that cooking? While it can’t prep or bake for you (yet), Google can help. Whether you’re searching for recipes or the nearest Chinese restaurant as a contingency plan, Google has your back. The team includes Carlos Trujillo, James Card and Tyler Russel of Continental Strategy, as well as Bill Rubin, Heather Turnbull and the full Rubin Turnbull & Associates roster.

Thanksgiving comes with its own media traditions — the stuff that quietly sets the holiday mood. Some folks go modern and cozy with Knives Out, which premiered on Thanksgiving Day 2019 and slid straight into the seasonal rotation. Others lean into the handcrafted warmth of Fantastic Mr. Fox. And yes, a certain subset insists on Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving for reasons best left unexamined. But the one choice that never misses is the 1973 TV special A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, now streaming on Apple TV. Here in Florida, Paul Mitchell, George Anderson, Brian Bautista, Rachel Cone, Nelson Diaz, Christopher Dudley, Mercer Fearington, David Hagan, Nicole Kelly, Karis Lockhart, Erin Rock, Clark Smith, Kira Smith, Monte Stevens and Sheela VanHoose of The Southern Group keep Apple well-repped in the Sunshine State.

But when Thanksgiving Day actually arrives, the most important thing on TV isn’t the movie selection or even the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — it’s the Lions game on Fox. A tradition since 1934, originally a marketing gimmick to boost attendance, the Detroit Lions are now a Thanksgiving staple and the true cause of those boredom-induced naps unfairly blamed on tryptophan. Fox Corporation’s team includes Nick Iarossi, Ron LaFace, Scott Ross, Chris Schoonover, Cory Dowd and Kaley Flynn of Capital City Consulting.

This year, the Lions (7-4) face the Packers (7-3-1) at 1 p.m. Bettors currently give the Lions a slight edge, and history backs it up — the two have met 22 times on Thanksgiving, with Detroit leading 12-9-1. Still, if you think Green Bay can pull off the upset, Hard Rock Bet is just a few taps away. Seminole Hard Rock Digital, the Tribal entity behind the app, relies on Ballard Partners’ Brian Ballard, Brady Benford, Mathew Forrest and Will McKinley.

After the game, it may be time for a “walk” with your family to clear your head and get ready for round two. If you catch our drift. The classic Thanksgiving walk, which requires a prescription in Florida, is best enjoyed after stopping by the nearest Trulieve. You won’t have trouble finding one or spotting one of their many contract lobbyists — the cannabis giant works with Ballard Partners, Capital City Consulting, Colodny Fass, Pittman Law Group, The Labrador Company and The Legis Group.

Once Thursday wraps, another tradition emerges: Black Friday. The hysteria has mellowed in the age of online shopping, but Amazon remains one of the best places to snag a deal without risking getting trampled. Its in-house advocates Servando Esparza and Giovanni Castro work alongside the Ballard Partners crew. 

Then comes Saturday: The Sunshine Showdown. UF vs. FSU. (3-8 vs. 5-6.) Both teams have seen better days. FSU can clinch a bowl appearance after a rough 2024 and chaotic 2025, while UF has a chance to humiliate its in-state rival after another throwaway season. The stakes are … well, let’s just say it’s not a night game. Still, those intent on going can swing by SeatGeek — represented by GrayRobinson’s Dean Cannon, Christopher Dawson and Kirk Pepper — to see what’s available. Spoiler alert: a lot.

Finally, when it’s time to get home, Expedia can hook you up with a reasonable flight or rental. The booking site is represented by Liberty Partners of Tallahassee. And if the holiday chaos becomes too much, there’s no shame in searching for a last-minute flight a thousand miles away. Happy Turkey Day.