The holiday shopping season is upon us. Check out store schedules, gift guides and more

Black Friday (November 23rd) and its sensational offerings officially mark the start of the holiday shopping season, but a few stores will open Thursday, as many of us set up for our dinners at the turkey.

Here are some links to the recent coverage of NOLA.com to help locals in New Orleans to browse Thanksgiving and Black Friday locally.

First: If you have not finished your shopping before Thanksgiving Day or if you have an unexpected sugar shortage, you still have options. Here is a list of grocery stores that will be open on Thanksgiving Day and their hours.

Many big box retailers are also opening early for Thanksgiving to attract bargain hunters. See which stores in the New Orleans area will open Thanksgiving Day and what are their hours. Of course, some stores prefer to stay closed on Thanksgiving Day. Here is a list of these stores as well as their Black Friday hours.

The Lakeside Mall in Metairie is part of the area's shopping centers that will open Thanksgiving Day, although store opening hours vary. See Thanksgiving and Black Friday for malls and outlets in the New Orleans area, as well as vacation schedules, if applicable.

This holiday season will be the first of a long time without the Toy Toy "R" Us on the scene, which means a chance to explore a few local toy stores. Here is a list of toy stores and bookstores in the New Orleans area looking for gifts for the little ones.

If you do not know what to buy for your loved ones for the holidays, remember to check out our latest gift guides before you go to the stores. They include gift ideas for Saints fans in your life, local gift card purchases that make giving a gift card look less blah, and experiential gift ideas for loved ones who have everything they need. need.

Or you could wait until the last minute to make your holiday shopping like the rest of us. To this end, New Orleans has many holiday events to help you stay distracted, including a few that start this week. Attend a full-round tour of lighting ceremonies, bonfires and other festive events in our area.