‘Mini-Black Friday’: tax-free weekend brings shoppers to the Victoria Mall | For Subscribers Only

Victoria resident Abel Conchola ventured out with his family Saturday to get them ready to go back to school.

He also wanted to take advantaged of tax-free weekend.

He was buying them a little bit of everything, but with six kids, he was mostly focused on clothes.

As someone who works in the oilfield, tax-free weekend makes shopping for his children much easier, Conchola, 36, said.

“I get them everything, besides me,” he said noting his work schedule.

Conchola was looking at some sunglasses, but ultimately decided to focus on his family Saturday afternoon instead.

The Victoria Mall was busy Saturday as families came out in full force to take advantage of a weekend without taxes.

“It’s like a mini-black Friday,” Lids assistant manager Priya Wilson said. “This is the most ridiculous it has been in a while.”

Ordinarily, foot traffic in the mall is much lighter and the parking lot is nowhere near as full as it was Saturday, Wilson said.

Throughout the mall families wondered through the various stores getting items for their offices, clothes for their children, jewelry for their significant others and everything in between.

In JC Penney, clerks operating the registers were constantly moving as the line stayed busy all afternoon. The shops such as Spencer’s, Journeys and American Eagle were also packed with people.

Children could also be seen playing and running around as their families shopped through the mall.

Tax-free weekend ends Sunday.

Kyle Cotton was born and raised in San Antonio and graduated from San Antonio College and the University of Texas at Arlington. Cotton has covered economic development, health care, finance, government, technology, oil and gas and higher education.