The West End neighborhood has long been home to Macy’s flagship store, but the gaudy store with flamboyant blue, green, and yellow exterior and large windows closing off the neighborhood attracted no customers at its most prime time of year in 2016. The store will return to the West End this Thursday, to the benefit of businesses there.
Macy’s will open at 5:30 a.m. and stay open until midnight on Black Friday for the first time ever. This year, the store will offer free valet parking for Black Friday shoppers.
The original Macy’s West End store opened in 1902 and it closed after a fire in 1960, reopening under its current name as the West End Mall. The store will have a new location once again, but not yet open yet, closer to the Galleria.
The local businesses who will benefit from the 2015 sale
A Longbow Construction Company will have its marinas at 7760 Georgia Ave. and 8363 Lake Station Dr. in Alexandria reopened, adding new boat slips for the first time in a number of years.
The McCulloughs Oyster Bar and Grille in McLean is hosting live music for Thanksgiving Eve and will also be throwing a Black Friday event for the first time. The restaurant will also have a Fat Thursday sale from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Black Friday is another dinner event where the restaurant will sell Christmas and Valentine’s Day food for $20 per person.
The Alexandria 5th and 8th Street Farmers’ Market will feature a food truck roundup for Thanksgiving Eve and plans to host a Black Friday in the Park for the first time. The farmers’ market will have special family dinners including all-you-can-eat oysters.
The West End Market will be featuring special Black Friday deals like 25 percent off a Mars Petcare product. The market is also planning to host family dinners including all-you-can-eat oysters, hot dogs, mac and cheese, and more starting at 6 p.m. and going until 9 p.m.
Notable hotels on the block
A couple hotels on the block that can benefit the most from the Macy’s Thanksgiving sales are the Wyndham Marquis and Residence Inn by Marriott Washington Dulles. Both hotels usually have discounted rooms for people looking to stay on the black Friday shopping frenzy. Wyndham will have great access to Macy’s, and is just a block away from the Galleria.
The Galleria Hotel is offering $100 Deluxe rooms and breakfast for $20 a person on Black Friday. The hotel is also offering some Black Friday deals like free check-in and in-room brewing brewing, 20 percent off at Waldenbooks and Borders, and $10 off Carlsberg and Heineken.
Quince is offering $40 off breakfast and $20 off dinner on Black Friday, as well as 50 percent off a Pizza Pizza some regular menu items.
Downtown hotels were especially chosen to benefit this year, with the St. Regis coming in as an added-plus for those coming to shop.
Bryant Park Hotel, which usually hosts big sales like its Tuesday Autumn Market and weekly Old City Market, is looking to benefit off the Thanksgiving sales with a website sale, ThanksgivingCarlyle.com. The hotel will be looking to sell a small part of its inventory at steep discounts.
The Westin Arlington will also be open for Thanksgiving, with details to come.
Seating information
All these places will be open for the special sales. Buy a ticket for:
Black Friday shopping in Washington DC
December 7 to 8
4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Balducci’s
Story Stop Bookstore
Dulles Go-Go
McLean Point Restaurant
The District Downtown
MyDiningBars.com
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Washington, DC, November 24, 2 p.m.
Register for:
Fat Thursday Dinner, H Street Country Club (Galleria)
Black Friday in the Park, Alex