When it comes to Black Friday, it pays to have a plan. To help you get started, Welcome 716 has put together a Black Friday Shopping Guide, full of some of the best places to shop in Buffalo Niagara.

Walden Galleria Mall

The giant complex that is the Walden Galleria Mall hosts over 200 stores, 11 full-service restaurants, and tons of entertainment options – making it the perfect one-stop holiday shopping experience! Not only will you save money on gas and reach your daily step count goals, but there is plenty to do if the kids (or your spouse) aren’t as enthusiastic about shopping as you are! Help your little ones burn off energy on the slides and climbing apparatuses at Billy Beez. Take your bored teenagers to the onsite Regal Cinemas to catch the latest flick. Or take the whole family to Dave & Buster’s for some arcade fun! You might also want to check out Escape the Mystery Room or 5 Wits interactive story challenges. Short on time? Experiences make for great holiday gifts, so consider picking up some gift certificates before you head out!

Located at 1 Walden Galleria in Buffalo. Black Friday hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. For individual business hours and other details, please visit www.waldengalleria.com.

Half & Half Boutique

Comfort meets classy at this stylish boutique, where ladies will find everything from blouses and dresses to purses and jewelry. The founders of this establishment are a mother and daughter duo with an eye for refreshing and reliable traditional-meets-new trends. Inventory includes an in-house line along with brands like Scotch and Soda, Amanda Uprichard, Susana Monaco, Heartloom, and more. In addition to clothes and accessories, shoppers will also find shoes, outerwear, swimwear, upscale sleepwear, and even beauty products. It is the perfect place to get an uncommon outfit for someone you love. Not sure about your recipient’s taste? Give her the gift of choice with a Half & Half certificate!

Located at 1088 Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Please visit www.halfandhalfboutique.com for more information.

Botanical Gardens Gift Shop

Maybe it hadn’t occurred to you to visit the Botanical Gardens for your holiday shopping, but the gift shop is the perfect place to score unique gifts! Although inventory is rotated periodically, typical finds here include one-of-a-kind handcrafted jewelry, clothing, gardening books, mini succulents and cacti, educational toys, windchimes, and decor. Even better – if you are a member of the museum, you get 10% off everything in the store! I think we all could use a little plant inspiration to get us through the winter, don’t you?

Located at 2655 South Park Avenue in Buffalo. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, but the museum will be closed on November 25th through 28th, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Paid admission is not necessary to enter the gift shop; it is located just inside the museum’s entrance to the left. For more information, please visit www.buffalogardens.com.

Antique World Market

Go vintage and one-of-a-kind this year with your Christmas list! Antique World Market is one of the largest antique centers in Western New York, where you will find Kelly Schultz Antiques, Premier Antique Center, Expo Center, 3 Old Dogs Antiques, Clarence Hollow Antique Mall, Frank Testa Restoration, and Homestead Designs. The potential for creative and unique gifts is unmatched: there are hand-built playhouses, furniture restoration services, antique signs, comic books, sports collectibles, rare and unusual items, and so much more. It is also the perfect opportunity to take a trip down memory lane and reminisce about Christmases from long ago!

Located at 11111 Main Street in Clarence. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Closed on Saturday and Sundays. For more information, please visit www.antiqueworldmarket.com.

Pumpkins Children’s Clothing

No need to worry about your child receiving duplicate items from other family members if you shop at Pumpkins, because here you will find one-of-a-kind clothes that are as durable as they are fashionable! Sizes range from Infant to size 7 (youth) for boys, and from Infant to size 16 (youth) for girls. To name a few of the designer brands: for girls, there’s Hannah Banana, Truly Me, Oh Baby, Maeli Rose, and Butter. For boys, there is Me and Henry, Boboli, Petite Lem, and Leo + Zachary. In addition to clothes, you will also find plenty of accessories, from bonnets and bibs to Fedora hats and ties. Yours will be the best-dressed kids on the block!

Located at 5520 Main Street in Williamsville. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information, please visit www.pumpkinschildrensclothing.com.

Talking Leaves…Books

Talking Leaves…Books is the oldest independently-owned bookstore in Buffalo! Here you will find an eclectic selection of unusual, marginal, and free-spirited literary treasures hand-picked for those bibliophiles who are less impressed with the mainstream scene. Annual memberships are only $10 per year and provide cardholders with 10% off books, calendars, boxed cards and other items. Gift cards are also available for a $1.00 minimum. Have a book in mind but you don’t see it in stock? That’s perfectly fine because Talking Leaves will special order it for you! Literacy is the gift that keeps on giving, so we highly recommend adding some books to your shopping list this holiday season!

Located at 951 Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo. Hours are weekdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, please visit www.tleavesbookstore.com.

American Harley-Davidson

Whether you are looking for accessories, apparel, motorcycle parts, or a whole new bike, American Harley-Davidson currently serves all of Western New York as well as the Niagara Frontier region. Here you will find both brand new and pre-owned motorcycles with financing available. For merchandise, this store sells both genuine Harley-Davidson gear and American Harley-Davidson items. Be sure to check out their website for a good look at their inventory, including items from the Wounded Warrior Project, leather jackets, boots, saddlebags, drinkware, holiday decor, clothes, tool kits, and so much more. From stocking stuffers to big-ticket items, American Harley-Davidson has it all!

Located at 1149 Erie Avenue in North Tonawanda. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, please visit www.americanharley-davidson.com.

Clayton’s Toys

Toys are probably the most fun items to shop for at Christmas time! Although many popular toys can be found in your typical big-box retailer, the experience isn’t nearly as fun as shopping at a genuine, independently-owned toy store, where holiday nostalgia truly resides! Clayton’s Toys has been around for over a century, so you might say they have really nailed down what kinds of toys, gifts, games, classics and novelties keep kids happy. Here you will find science kits, board games, art supplies, outdoor fun, books, dolls, puppets, and so much more! Not only do they offer an excellent selection of merchandise- they also sell batteries at bargain prices, offer layaway services, and provide complimentary gift-wrapping (because some of us never mastered that tricky triangle fold)!

Located at 5225 Main Street in Williamsville. Hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, please visit www.claytonstoystore.com.

Old Editions Bookshop & Gallery

Old Editions Bookshop & Gallery is one of the largest antiquated bookstores in the country! Come browse an extensive collection of secondhand and rare books, first editions, collectible magazines and postcards, engravings, historical documents, autographs, prints, maps and more, all within 35,000 square feet of space. Old Editions takes pride in being a member of both the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers and The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America, meaning this retailer maintains high professional standards regarding the quality of its merchandise. Be rest assured that when you shop here, you are getting valuable products!

Located at 954 Oliver Street in North Tonawanda. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, please visit www.oldeditions.com.

Go forth and conquer

Whether you are looking for rare books, unique apparel, vintage home decor, refreshing plants, exciting children’s toys, or a tough-looking motorcycle jacket, we feel confident that our Welcome 716 Black Friday Guide will get you far this holiday season. The retailers we mentioned in this guide are ones that we trust to provide you with quality products, good pricing, and excellent customer service. Stay safe on the roads while you are out and about, and we hope that you have an enjoyable holiday shopping adventure!