Black Friday Rush Hits the Rockaway Mall

Hundreds rushed to the Rockaway Mall Thursday night to be the first to check out this year's Black Friday deals and to get a head start on holiday shopping.

Some headed over right after their turkey meal, while others even skipped their dinner to make sure they could be the first in line.

The line at Best Buy started a full day before its midnight opening on Friday. Maplewood resident Amanda Meehan was the first to get to the store at midnight on Thursday. She slept in her car, camped out all day, and skipped her Thanksgiving dinner to get the Toshiba 40-inch TV special for $179.99.

Most customers who waited in the Best Buy line were also hoping to get the Toshiba deal that saved $240 on the TV. By 11:30 p.m., the line wrapped around the entire store just minutes before it opened.

All of the stores in the mall opened at midnight, but customers were allowed to wait inside before they opened. Victoria's Secret and H&M saw some of the largest crowds.

Toys 'R' Us, which opened at 8 p.m. Thursday, and Target, which opened at 9 p.m., also saw a large turnout throughout the night. There were still lines outside of Toys 'R' Us by 9:30 p.m.

Were you part of the Black Friday rush at midnight? Are you planning to go another time this weekend to start your holiday shopping? Tell us in the comments!