Record crowds pack downtown for local Black Friday shopping event
Published 2:00 pm Monday, December 1, 2025
Downtown Carthage was buzzing this weekend as Black Friday drew some of the largest crowds local merchants say they’ve ever seen, marking a milestone moment for the city’s growing shop-local movement.
Shoppers lined up well before dark Thursday night for the Black Friday kickoff on the square, where stores opened from 9 p.m. to midnight. By the time doors opened, business owners reported lines stretching down sidewalks and crowds filling their shops within minutes.
COR Boutique owner Josey Morris captured the spirit of the night in a Facebook post, calling it “the most insane night of my life.” She thanked shoppers for “standing in line for forever” and even “jumping in to help,” adding that she hopes to make the next annual Black Friday “bigger and better than the last.”
At Alli D’s Boutique, dozens of customers gathered outside before the doors even opened, with owner Allison Dorman posting video of the crowd online. Grind & Grain Beverage Co. also saw a surge in nighttime shoppers, writing on social media, “Carthage, TX your support tonight was amazing! We’re so thankful so many of you came shopping downtown tonight.”
Lazy K Boutique experienced one of its busiest nights ever. Owner Ashley Whitaker said the store hit capacity “immediately” and stayed packed until nearly 1 a.m. “I never in a million years expected what we experienced last night,” Whitaker said. “We had people in line from 4:45 p.m. and our last customer left at 12:50 a.m.”
At Southern Co., where shoppers browsed clothing while others waited for late-night coffees, owner Shailee Ross said she was “truly so thankful and so grateful for every single one” of her customers. She praised them for being patient with long checkout lines and drink orders, adding, “Thank you for choosing to spend part of it (Thanksgiving) with us.”
The momentum carried into Small Business Saturday, where families filled Anderson Park for photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus and enjoyed live Christmas music from Chase Dawson and Presley West. Fresh Market vendors joined downtown boutiques in offering gift ideas, treats, and holiday goods.
