Newspaper employees will be selling packs of holiday ad inserts Wednesday in the parking lot of The Parkersburg News and Sentinel, 519 Juliana St., and at Stacey’s Dance Studio, 205 Pike St., in Marietta. (File Photo)

PARKERSBURG — Thanksgiving is Thursday, which means Black Friday is just around the corner.

Wednesday’s editions of The Parkersburg News and Sentinel and The Marietta Times will be packed with ads for the unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season. People who don’t subscribe to the paper, or those that do but want extra copies, can pick up bundles of the ads from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday.

The bundles will be available for $5 at the side parking lot of The News and Sentinel at 519 Juliana St. in Parkersburg and for The Times at Stacey’s Dance Studio, 205 Pike St., Marietta.

“There will be a lot of opportunities with advertisers doing inserts in our paper, and we also have a special (advertising) section devoted to Black Friday deals,” said Lisa Northcraft, advertising manager for the newspapers.

The sale of inserts has been a tradition for the newspapers for nearly 10 years. It’s being paired once again with another annual event: Comfort Keepers of the Mid-Ohio Valley’s Feed Seniors Now Food Drive.

Customers looking for an extra set or two of ads to share with their Black Friday shopping posse can also drop off canned proteins like tuna and chicken, low-sodium and cream soups, smooth peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables with low sodium or light syrup, shelf-stable milk, unsweetened juices and cereals.

Comfort Keepers will get the food to seniors in need with the help of the FaithLink/Thrive network in Wood County and Washington County Harvest of Hope.

“As you’re looking to get a head start on your Christmas shopping, please also consider giving early to area seniors through this food drive,” said Kat Lankford, circulation director for the newspapers.

As a reminder, neither paper will publish an edition on Thanksgiving Day, just like the other major holidays of Christmas, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day.

The newsroom will remain staffed on the day before and the holiday itself. Event and breaking news coverage, along with local sports and obituaries, will still be handled and appear on our websites on the holiday mornings and in print the day after.

Readers who have not linked their newspaper subscription to the website and e-edition can do so by clicking the Today’s Newspaper link at the top of newsandsentinel.com or mariettatimes.com. From there they will be guided through the validating process.

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A Note to Our Readers

As a reminder, neither paper will publish an edition on Thanksgiving Day, just like the other major holidays of Christmas, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day.

The newsroom will remain staffed on the day before and the holiday itself. Event and breaking news coverage, along with local sports and obituaries, will still be handled and appear on our websites on the holiday mornings and in print the day after.

Readers who have not linked their newspaper subscription to the website and e-edition can do so by clicking the Today’s Newspaper link at the top of newsandsentinel.com or mariettatimes.com.