Downtown businesses have embraced a new holiday shopping concept. It’s called “A Better Black Friday.”

For years, downtown businesses have benefited from the Lights! Lights! celebration that brings thousands of people to the Courthouse Square on Thanksgiving night. Stores and restaurants will be open during tonight’s event, scheduled 5-8 p.m. with the canopy of lights being turned on at 6.

It used to be that was the only shopping available in Moultrie on the fourth Thursday in November. But Moultrie Main Street Director Amy Johnson pointed out that across the country, retailers are opening earlier and earlier on the following day — some actually starting “Black Friday” on Thursday evening.

In 2011, Walmart in Moultrie opened at midnight as Thursday turned to Friday to offer great values to attract early-bird shoppers. A scuffle broke out over pillows, and a cell-phone-weilding customer caught the whole thing on video and posted it to YouTube.

The next year, police officers had to break up a similar scuffle as people scrambled for a cell-phone offer. That video was also posted to YouTube and made the national news.

Walmart spokesperson Debbie Serr told The Observer by email this week that customer and employee safety are a top priority for the retailer.

“We have prepared each of our 4,000 stores for Black Friday with a specific and unique plan to manage the crowds as they take advantage of our in-store specials,” Serr said.

“Our plans for stores across the country were developed with nationally recognized crowd management experts,” she said. “The plans contain proven crowd management techniques into the unique circumstances of a retail setting. These plans have worked very well during our holiday shopping events the past four years. We’re confident our customers can look forward to a safe and enjoyable shopping experience at Walmart this year.”

But merchants in downtown Moultrie are rolling out special deals of their own to draw shoppers. The Downtown Moultrie Association is promoting the effort as “A Better Black Friday,” according to Eric Foster-Whiddon, owner of Beans and Strings.

“They’ve fought the crowds and they’ve watched all the fist fights and they’re ready for a calmer experience,” Foster-Whiddon said.

Foster-Whiddon and Carrie Viohl are heading up the promotion. Viohl owns Viohl Photography, and her husband Philiip owns The Square restaurant, which opened earlier this month.

“We’re trying to remind people that downtown Moultrie needs to be on their radar when they’re looking for Black Friday deals,” Foster-Whiddon said.

Participating in “A Better Black Friday” are Beans and Strings, Coco’s Boutique, The Corner Cakery, Cranford’s Jewelers, Family Ties Yogurt and Gifts, Forever Southern Boutique, Frameworks 123, Griner Jewelry, Heritage Embroidery, Lazarus department store, Market on the Square, The Square and Ward’s Jewelers.

Other stores will be open today and Friday, Foster-Whiddon said, and some of those may also be offering special deals, but those listed above are the ones that have contacted the DMA about joining the Black Friday promotion.

Around the community, other retailers are also getting into the Black Friday spirit. Johnson said Sears at Sunset Plaza will be open at 5 a.m. Friday for the first time ever.

Home Depot, on Veterans Parkway, will also be open at 5 Friday, a store spokesman said, and it will host Santa Claus with a live reindeer from then until 10 a.m. Coffee and doughnuts will be available.