Poll: Who Are You Buying for on Black Friday?

Family, friends, yourself?

Black Friday — the day after Thanksgiving — seems to start earlier every year. Stores (big and small) offer huge discounts, and crowds wait for hours for the doors to open. And when they do, watch out for a stampede. Tony Walter, a waiter at Busboys and Poets in Shirlington, will spend Thanksgiving evening shopping at the Walmart on Richmond Highway and the Target store at Potomac Yard.  "I'm shopping for me, and I already know exactly what I'm getting," Walter told Patch. "I only started doing this last year, because I had the extra cash and I realized that I could get a 40-inch flatscreen television at Walmart for $200 and an all-in-one printer for $35." Walter, 27, hopes to buy an Xbox 360 with a wired Internet connection ($229) and an …

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Fairfax County Parks Announce Black Friday Sales

Gift shops and pro shops will have specials on Friday, Nov. 23 for those who need to shop for holiday gifts.

The big box stores won’t be the only shops offering Black Friday deals this week. Several Fairfax County parks will offer special sales on Friday, Nov. 23. The Burke Lake Golf Course is offering 25 percent off all pro shop merchandise and a free cup of coffee on Friday. Frying Pan Farm Park Country Store in Herndon will also offer 20 percent off select merchandise from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Shoppers can take 20 percent off all gift shop items from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Sully Historic Site in Chantilly. Over in Falls Church, the Jefferson Golf Course is also offering 25 percent off on all sports apparel at and free coffee as well. The release also states that the Laurel Hill Golf Club Pro Shop in Lorton is offering 20 percent savings …

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Burke Shoppers Close Their Wallets for 'Buy Nothing Day'

Some Burke residents are avoiding malls, big box stores and all other retail on Buy Nothing Day, which coincides with Black Friday.

Some Burke residents will be sleeping in, eating Thanksgiving leftovers and spending time with family and friends on Black Friday—doing anything but shopping—as a way of celebrating "Buy Nothing Day." One person on the Burke Patch Facebook page wrote, "Never been a fan of Black Friday. ... People are crazy enough on regular shopping days! I'd rather stay home and enjoy my family!" Buy Nothing Day is traditionally the day after Thanksgiving and is a movement to establish a counterbalance to the consumerism that can dominate Black Friday (and, increasingly, Thanksgiving itself). Another person commented on the Burke Patch Facebook page, "I hang out with my family Friday instead of acting like a shopping maniac. Over the past few years, the …

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How to Beat the Crowds on Black Friday

A few tips on beating the traffic and crowds while holiday shopping Black Friday weekend.

If you're going to a big box store like Target or Walmart in Burke Thursday night and Friday morning, or a small business on Saturday, you'll be joining 147 million people who are planning to go shopping during the Black Friday weekend, according to a recent National Retail Federation survey. The survey shows a slight decrease from last year’s 152 million who planned to shop during the same weekend. Specifically, NRF’s survey shows that 71 million said they would shop and another 76 million said they would wait and see what retailers have in-store that weekend. “Though the Black Friday tradition is here to stay, there’s no question that it has changed in recent years; already there is a tremendous amount of excitement and anticipation …

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Walmart Workers to Strike Over Black Friday Hours

Walmart employees in DC and elsewhere are protesting after learning "Black Friday" store hours start at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.

Walmart workers across the country are striking due to the stores opening earlier this year for the Black Friday weekend. Walmart workers in Burke do not have plans right now to strike; the closest Walmart protest to Northern Virginia is schedule for 4 p.m. Monday at the Capital Plaza Walmart in Washington, DC. Casey Hoag, a campaign communications specialist for The United Food and Commercial Workers, said at the moment, there aren't any strikes planned in Northern Virginia. Between this past week and Thanksgiving, more than 1,000 worksite actions will take place nationwide. Walmart employees all over the country have been striking for the past few months in protest to being silenced, long hours and little pay and issues with healthcare…

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Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule for Trash Collection in Fairfax County

Thanksgiving and 'Black Friday' will be regular solid waste collection days.

Trash will be picked up on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 22) and the day after Thanksgiving (Friday, Nov. 23) in Fairfax County for those receiving Thursday and Friday collection service for trash and recyling and for customers with previously scheduled collections, according to a news release from the county. All materials should be at the curb by 6 a.m. to ensure they are collected. The Recycling and Disposal Centers at the I-66 Transfer Station (4618 West Ox Road) and the I-95 Landfill Complex (9850 Furnace Road) will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, according to the county. Both locations will reopen Friday, Nov. 23. More information about trash and recycling collection can be found on the Fairfax County website. For questions or …

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Walmart, Other Retailers to Start Black Friday Sales on Thanksgiving Day

Target, Kmart included in turkey day sales. Is it too early to start Black Friday shopping on Thanksgiving Day?

If you have a black belt in Black Friday shopping, listen up: Area big-box retailers are gearing up to dazzle bargain hunters even earlier this year — starting Thanksgiving Day, right after you put away the pumpkin pie. Walmart, Target and Kmart are planning all-out holiday shopping assaults. Why doze off in a turkey slump watching football when you can be out taking care of holiday shopping business? Walmart will offer, beginning at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, holiday gifts for the entire family while supplies last. That includes an electric scooter for $79, a steam mop for $39 or men's jeans for $9.50. (Why do mom and dad always get the boring presents?) Target's deals begin an hour later, at 9 p.m. According to an ad leaked online, the …

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National Retail Federation Expects Increase in Shoppers for Black Friday Weekend

The four days of Black Friday Weekend comprise the traditional start of the holiday shopping season.

Up to 152 million shoppers are expected to visit stores and websites during Black Friday Weekend, according to the National Retail Federation. The group said last year some 212 million shoppers spent about $45 billion over the four days. Preparations are well underway for what's become known as the start of the holiday shopping season. Lydia Dishmah, writing in Forbes, provides an overview of "apps designed to help consumers shop smarter, faster and cheaper."  Shopkick, for example, enables shoppers to earn reward points just by opening the app in entrance area of participating stores. Target is one local retailer taking part. There's an official Black Friday website, TheBlackFriday.com, featuring Black Friday ads, sales information, and …

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Nancy-jo Manney

9:25 am on Monday, November 21, 2011

Don't forget to Shop Small, at your favorite locally-owned, small business on Small Business Saturday - November 26.   more ›

A Mom's Musings

Snowtober

An early dusting excites the kids and motivates mom for holiday shopping.

“Hooray!  No school on Monday,” my kids yelled when they saw the snow falling last weekend.  “Not likely,” I told them based on weather reports that we were only supposed to get a light dusting in our neck of the woods (and hoping they were right).  Earthquakes, floods, a hurricane and now snow in October?  This is Virginia after all!  Just when we thought it was time to rake the leaves, we nearly had to drag out our snow shovels and ice scrapers.  But it appeared that we dodged a bullet this time, as many of our neighbors up north had power outages due to snowfalls measured in feet, not inches.  I reminded my kids they already used up one snow day when we got the flooding rain. That only leaves two remaining, and we still have a long …

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