Your guide to Thanksgiving Day
Happy Thanksgiving!
Here’s information The Eagle staff has put together to help you make the most of this day.
Shopping season starts
We know some of you will want to shop Thursday – and some will want to wait until Friday. Below you’ll find the times sales start at a variety of stores, as well as shopping trends, a little shopping history and some tips for shopping safely and efficiently.
3 shopping trends
1. No must-have gifts. Anything “Star Wars” is faring well, as well as a slew of robotic pets like robotic toy bears from Mattel’s Fisher-Price and an interactive unicorn from Hasbro. But there’s no runaway hit.
2. It’ll be cheap to stay warm. Heavy sweaters and winter coats are piling up at department stores and specialty chains. Unseasonably warm weather and a shift in changing shopping habits have limited shoppers’ appetite for such clothing. So plenty of stores say they plan to further mark down excess goods.
3. Toys will be pricey. Prices are climbing as manufacturers pack lots of technology into toys. Prices for the top 20 expected toys was nearly 36 percent higher than last year, with the average price of $64.99, Deborah Weinswig of the Fung Business Intelligence Center says in a recent report.
Black Friday on Thursday?
It’s called Black Friday. The name is said to have originated in Philadelphia, where the police department used the term to describe the city’s traffic jams on the first day of holiday shopping.
Retailers traditionally opened early on Black Friday. But during the early 2000s, stores began opening earlier. In 2011, several major chains opened at midnight for the first time.
Ever since, deal time has slowly encroached upon Thanksgiving meal time. This year, JCPenney opens at 3 p.m. in Wichita and a host of other stores follow suit beginning at 5 and 6 p.m.
Some retailers will stay closed on Thanksgiving in order to uphold the federal holiday as a day off of work for retail employees. Among those chains are Barnes & Noble, Dillard’s, Burlington Coat Factory, GameStop and Pier 1 Imports.
National outdoors retailer REI is taking it a step further, opting to stay closed on Black Friday as a way to advertise its brand and to practice what it preaches: to go outside. The store – which doesn’t have an outlet in Kansas – coined the hashtag #optoutside. To take it a step further, the chain of 143 stores is paying its employees to head outdoors for the day.
Stay safe
Here’s advice from Wichita police:
▪ Be aware of your surroundings and park in well-lit areas
▪ Roll up windows and lock your vehicle
▪ Put your purse on your shoulder and keep electronics on you
▪ Take your keys with you
▪ Put your purse in your car first before you load shopping bags
▪ If you see suspicious activity, get a good description, but don’t put yourself in danger
▪ Don’t leave shopping bags and personal items, including your garage door opener, visible in your car
Shop smart
Here are tips from the Better Business Bureau.
Shopping in stores:
▪ Bring coupons or advertisements with you to the store to guarantee the sale prices are the same as the business claimed.
▪ Check and compare store return policies to determine where to buy different items. Some stores charge restocking fees or have shorter return deadlines.
Shopping online:
▪ Shop on widely used websites you know and trust.
▪ Beware of deals that sound too good to be true and offer extremely low prices.
▪ Make sure purchases are secure. Look for the “s” in the “https://” and check for a lock symbol in the lower right corner before paying online. If you have doubts about the site, right click anywhere on the page and select “properties.” That allows you to check the Web address and site encryption.
▪ Pay with a credit card, which enables you to better dispute charges if you need to.
▪ Keep purchase documentation. Take screen shots of confirmation pages or print them from your computer.
Contributing: Gabriella Dunn of The Eagle; Associated Press
When do sales start?
Here are start times for some of the sales that stores plan Thursday and Friday.
Thursday
6 a.m.: Kmart
7 a.m.: Big Lots, Family Dollar
8 a.m.: CVS Pharmacy, Gander Mountain, Walgreens
3 p.m.: JCPenney
4 p.m.: Michaels, Old Navy
5 p.m.: Toys ‘R’ Us, Best Buy
6 p.m.: Dick’s Sporting Goods, Gordmans, Kohl’s, Office Depot, Office Max, Sears, Sears Hometown Store, Sears Outlet, Shoe Carnival, Sports Authority, Target, Towne East Square Mall, Towne West Square Mall, Ulta Beauty, Walmart
Friday
5 a.m.: Academy Sports and Outdoors, Cabela’s, Lowe’s
6 a.m.: Atwoods Ranch and Home, Bed Bath & Beyond, Guitar Center, Dillons Marketplace (all other Dillons locations open at regular time), Hancock Fabrics, Home Depot, JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store, Menards, Northern Tool and Equipment, Tractor Supply Co.
7 a.m.: Ashley Furniture, Furniture on Consignment, Petco, PetSmart, Sam’s Club, World Market, TGW (The Golf Warehouse)
7:30 a.m.: Sutherlands
8 a.m.: Damm Music Center, Furniture Row, Havertys, Mattress Firm, Salon Brands, Sleep Number, Slumberland Furniture, Sofa Mart, Thunderbird Firearms Academy
9 a.m.: Costco, LaZBoy, Ultra Modern Pool and Patio
Getting out
Feel a need to get out of the house, but aren’t interested in shopping? Here are a few options:
▪ “The Arc’s Lights” – formerly the “Lights on St. Paul” – opens Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. The display, at Douglas and St. Paul, features of 1.4 million lights and more than 200 displays. A $5 donation per car is suggested. The money supports the Arc of Sedgwick County, which helps individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Go to arc-sedgwickcounty.org for more information.
▪ Need to shoot a family Christmas card? Consider heading over to Memories Park at Sedgwick County Park, 6501 W. 21st St. The Memories Park offers numerous photo backdrops, including a hay wagon, a vintage truck and a giant Adirondack Chair.
▪ “Lights on Texas” – a private Christmas light display in west Wichita – will go live at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The decorations, which used to be near 13th Street North and Woodlawn, is now at 11603 W. Texas. That’s one block north and east of 119th Street and Maple. The display includes decorations that used to adorn the Wey Mansion at 17th Street and Park Place.
At the movies
Going to the movies is a holiday tradition for many families. Here is what’s on the movie menu:
New this week
“Creed”: We can already hear the music. Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) is back, and this time he’s mentoring the son (Michael B. Jordan) of Apollo Creed, his former rival.
“Victor Frakenstein”: Daniel Radcliffe stars in this origin story.
“Trumbo”: “Breaking Bad’s” Bryan Cranston plays a screenwriter who is blacklisted in 1947.
“The Good Dinosaur”: Animated film about a dinosaur who befriends a human.
“Brooklyn”: An Irish immigrant (Saoirse Ronan) finds love in 1950s Brooklyn.
Still worth seeing
“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2”: The final film in the highly successful series.
“The Night Before”: This year’s raunchy Christmas comedy is about a trio of best friends (Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anthony Mackie) in search of a good party.
“Spotlight”: Boston Globe journalists break the story of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church.
What to watch on TV
Planning to stay inside on Thursday? There is plenty to watch on television.
The Wichita State men’s basketball team will Southern California (1 p.m., ESPN2) in the opening round of the 2015 Orlando Classic. The Shockers are ranked 20th in the latest college basketball poll.
Ready for some football? There is plenty of NFL action on Thursday, beginning with Philadelphia at Detroit (11:30 a.m. Fox) followed by Carolina at Dallas (3:30 p.m., CBS) and Chicago at Green Bay (7:30 p.m., NBC).
For non-sports fans, there also are lots of options:
▪ 89th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (8 a.m., NBC) returns in all its festive glory as Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie anchor the broadcast.
▪ “The All-Star Dog Rescue Celebration” (7 p.m., Fox) has celebrities introducing adoptable rescue dogs and honoring those who care for animals in need.
▪ “12 Gifts of Christmas” (7 p.m., Hallmark Channel) leads the annual deluge of sentimental, made-for-TV holiday films.
▪ For those looking for a harder edge to their movies, AMC is showing “The Godfather” and “The Godfather: Part II” all day, beginning at 8 a.m. Remember, don't ever take sides with anyone against the family.
Where to eat at the last minute
Maybe you wanted to eat out on Thanksgiving, but neglected to make a reservation. Or maybe the turkey didn’t quite turn out as you had hoped.
Whatever the case, here are some last-minute places to get turkey and the trimmings without a reservation.
Thanksgiving buffets
Bishop’s Family Dining, 4200 W. Kellogg, 316-943-0393. Buffet is $12.99 for adults, $12.49 for seniors, $5.99 for ages 3-10, free for ages 2 and under. Drinks included. Served 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
Golden Corral, 616 S. Ridge Road Circle, 316-945-5100, and 11006 E. Kellogg, 316-686-0669. Buffet is $13.99 for adults, $7.99 for ages 9-12, $6.99 for ages 4-8, free for ages 3 and under. Served 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Ourr’s Family Dining, 1606 S. Georgetown, 316-987-2191. Buffet is $10.99 for adults, $9.99 for seniors, $6.99 for ages 6-10, $5.99 for ages 3-5. Drinks included. Served 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Olive Tree Banquet Hall, 2949 N. Rock Road, 316-681-1100. Buffet is $22 for adults, $20 for seniors, $10 for ages 5-12, free for ages 4 and under. Served 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Spear’s Restaurant and Pie Shop, 4323 W. Maple, 316-943-2783. Buffet is $13.79 for adults, $6.90 for ages 6-10, free for ages 5 and under with a paying adult. Served 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Nonbuffet options
Cracker Barrel, 995 E. 61st St. North, Park City, 316-744-8080. Serving traditional turkey dinner along with regular menu. Open 6 a.m.-10 p.m.
Denny’s, 5700 W. Kellogg, 316-942-9662; 4024 E. Harry, 316-683-8362; 8030 E. Kellogg, 316-682-1008. Serving traditional turkey dinner along with the regular menu. Open 24 hours.
Granite City Food & Brewery, 2244 N. Webb Road, 316-636-5050; 2661 N. Maize Road, 316-721-8500. Serving all-you-can-eat meals table-side. $24.95 for adults, $8.95 for ages 6-12, free for ages 5 and younger. Served 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
IHOP, 11855 E. Kellogg, 316-652-7251; 515 S. Ridge Circle, 316-773-0077; 3505 N. Rock Road, 316-630-8401. Serving regular menu plus turkey and ham dinners. Open 24 hours.
Village Inn, 3535 S. Meridian, 316-946-9000; 1685 S. Rock Road, 316-687-4454; 7020 W. Central, 316-945-2400; 1200 N. Rock Road, Derby, 316-788-9500. Serving traditional turkey dinner along with regular menu. Open 6 a.m.-2 p.m.
To check out restaurants that recommend or require reservations for their Thanksgiving meals, see the link attached to this story at Kansas.com.
This story was originally published November 25, 2015 at 6:39 PM with the headline "Your guide to Thanksgiving Day."