Photo by M.V. Jantzen.

Black Friday has always been a somewhat insane dive into a consumerist Alice in Wonderland-like world — people line up at 4 a.m. outside big box stores to fight over everything from toys to flat-screen TVs. To avoid the mad rush (or perhaps extend it), some large retailers have come up with a brilliant solution: just open at midnight on Thanksgiving Thursday and let people start shopping then!

Target was among the retailers to announce such a policy this year — and despite a petition against it that has attracted 100,000 signatures, the District’s lone Target will be throwing its doors open for 24 hours of shopping come Thursday. (As a concession, though, the retailer said it would be paying workers holiday wages.)

Not one to be undone, Best Buy will also start taking shoppers as the clock hits 12, as will Bed Bath & Beyond. But while Target will go for the full 24 hours on Turkey Day, the latter two retailers on the second floor of the DCUSA complex are going slightly easier on workers — they’re closing at 11 p.m. and 10 p.m., respectively.

Fortunately, there isn’t a Toys ‘R’ Us in the city — that chain announced that it will be opening its doors at 9 p.m. on Thursday.