It’s that time of the year again.
Time to shop till you drop and make sure your wallet doesn’t pop.
Black Friday deals and specials abound in the Golden Triangle this year as we’re on the cusp of the Christmas season.
Your big-box retailers are opening Friday, leaving Thanksgiving Day for those to spend with their families.
Walmart already has a slew of discounts online, while the store will open at 5 a.m. Friday with Airpods, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and more deals.
Get your craft on at Michaels with up to 70 percent off some classic favorites. Online sales will begin Thanksgiving Day while in-store sales will start Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Burke’s Outlet will open Friday 7 a.m.-11 p.m. with $20 cat trees for your favorite fur babies, $20 suitcases and Rachael Ray pots and pans sets for under $70.
When you’re browsing around for Christmas gifts for family and friends, keep in mind shopping locally. The Dispatch’s Shopping Guide can point you in the right direction for gifts of all sizes, ranging from stocking stuffers to gifts under the tree.
You can flip through the shopping guide to find the perfect bicycle for your wife at Military Hardware, the handgun your friend has been asking for at GunCo in Starkville, some sweet Mississippi State clothes at The Lodge in Starkville, succulent planters at Busy Bee in Macon and so much more.
We do have a shop in town opening Thanksgiving night for those wanting to tick items off their Christmas list early.
Park Place downtown is having Black Friday specials, including a free t-shirt with a $25 purchase for the first 20 shoppers. The boutique will open 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and offer “buy one, get one half off” deals 10 p.m.-2 a.m. On Friday the boutique will have 25 percent off storewide purchases 2-10 a.m. and 20 percent off from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Speaking of gifts and wanting to give back, Main Street Director Barbara Bigelow is asking those shopping around to remember the small town businesses this Saturday for Small Business Saturday.
In Columbus from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. local retailers will open their doors and offer plenty of specials.
At Leadership Plaza, located next to Hollyhocks, Columbus Main Street is also offering gift-wrapping 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
“We just encourage people as always to shop small with our locally owned businesses,” Bigelow said. “An average of 68 cents for every dollar spent stays in our community when you shop locally. …This has been a rough year for all small businesses throughout the community, and I just encourage people to remember that and shop with them this year.”
In Starkville, The Greater Starkville Development Partnership is hosting Black Friday Bonanza with deals all throughout the city. With too many deals to list, shoppers can find discounts on clothes, restaurant gift cards and more throughout the city. Check out those stores and restaurants participating at www.starkville.org/black-friday.
Moving into the Christmas season, local Muddy Waters Bar owners Ray Boltwood and Edward Bishop unwrapped a huge Christmas gift: Columbus local restaurant Ruben’s Fish and Steakhouse.
Boltwood and Bishop, who opened Muddy Waters three years ago upstairs from Ruben’s, will officially take over the steakhouse at 171 Moores Creek Road on Dec. 1.
“First, we will assess and see what changes need to happen,” Boltwood said “We’re working on opening the stairwell up, I’m also turning the oyster bar into an actual bar. It’ll basically be one unit, just two businesses (Ruben’s and Muddy Waters).”
Boltwood added the changes will not happen until the next year. For now, Boltwood and Bishop are leasing the Ruben’s building but Boltwood said he hopes to take ownership of the building in the near future.
The Christmas gifts keep on coming, guys.
We finally have a bookstore back in Columbus. Emily Liner will officially open Friendly City Books, 118 Fifth St., on Saturday.
Friendly City Books will be open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m.
Liner added with COVID-19 cases increasing, she is asking potential shoppers to make an appointment to browse her store. You don’t have to make an appointment to shop; however, customers that do make an appointment online will receive 5 percent off their purchase. You can make appointments at https://calendly.com/friendly-city…/shopping-appointment.
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