You’ll Never Guess Who Came to Kelsea Ballerini’s Thanksgiving

For the very first time in her life, Kelsea Ballerini was in charge of the Thanksgiving turkey this year.

Leading up to the big day, the singer admitted on social media that she was nervous about getting the main dish right — and no wonder! It turns out that she had an A-List celebrity to cook for.

A slideshow of photos from the celebration includes one photo of Kenny Chesney, who came by Ballerini’s Thanksgiving party dressed casually in a beanie and Baja hoodie.

With a big name like Chesney’s on her guest list, it’s no wonder Ballerini’s turkey dinner was so high stakes.

But of course, the gathering was pretty casual, as evidenced by the photo Ballerini posted, which shows her wrapping her arms around the country star, who’s got a big smile on his face.

Ballerini and Chesney go way back: And not just because they both hail from the same hometown of Knoxville, Tenn. They also sang together on the Ballerini-led 2020 hit “Half of My Hometown,” and Ballerini was an opening act during Chesney’s tour in 2023.

So even though Chesney packs some serious star power, he likely wasn’t putting too much pressure on her to come up with a show-stopping Thanksgiving meal.

That’s good for Ballerini, who ranked her turkey only “5/10” in the caption she shared for her Thanksgiving post. But the company was much better: She ranked her party’s holiday karaoke “1000/10,” and shared several shots of her party guests having fun, including her actor boyfriend, Chase Stokes.

Read More: Kelsea Ballerini Shares Heartbreaking News About Her Dog Dibs

One very special guest at the party was Ballerini’s dog Dibs, who’s currently in the midst of a difficult cancer battle.

Back in August, the singer shared that Dibs had been diagnosed with “inoperable cancer in his heart,” and that he was receiving treatment “to try to make sure he can have as many comfortable and happy days (weeks, months) left as possible.”

From the news she’s shared about his diagnosis, it’s clear that Dibs’ presence at Thanksgiving dinner wasn’t something Ballerini was taking for granted, as he faces an uncertain timeline for the future.

Ballerini shared a spotlight photo of Dibs on social media, writing: “Thankful this little dude had his 9th Thanksgiving. Thankful for the love and consistency and joy he’s brought to me and so many people around us.”

“He’s my little turkey forever,” she adds.