Best Black Friday Deals? Maybe Buying Nothing

With the big box stores such as Walmart and Target moving Black Friday up by hours -- and into Thankgsiving Day -- Friday also marks the international “holiday” Buy Nothing Day.

Whether to buy or not to buy is, of course, your choice. If you’re on the side of sane shopping, though, you might consider a number of store-free activities in Cedar Falls on Friday.

And this Saturday is Small Business Saturday 2012, so you may want to show some local small businesses your financial love.

Here are some activities in Cedar Falls for Friday:

• Holiday Hoopla kicks off in downtown Cedar Falls Friday evening. Come see Santa's arrival to town.
  
  
• The Cedar Falls Recreation Center is open. Work off all that turkey!
  
  
• Unfortunately, the forecast is for cold weather, but if you're feeling ambitious, bundle up and hit the Cedar Valley's 100+ miles of trails.
  
  
• Check out a movie at College Square Theatre. Lincoln, Breaking Dawn Part 2, Skyfall and Wreck it Ralph are a few of the options.

And here are just a few of the small businesses in Cedar Falls that you can help support:

• The newely opened Miss Wonderful
• Basket of Daisies
• Mohair Pear
• Hagen Gallery and Gifts
• Ivy Trellis
• Jennifer's
• Kitchen Essentials and Gifts
• Main Street Exchange
• Purse-N-ality
• Vintage Iron
• World's Window

Click the links to find their phone numbers - some places won't be open on Friday, so it may be best to call ahead.