It was midnight madness out in Riverhead early Friday morning.

The Tanger Outlet mall opened at midnight for shoppers looking to get a head start for the holiday season. The crowds were so large, shoppers were turned away at some stores. Some stores only allowed a few people in at a time to get a change to purchase discounted items. The crowds also forced the LIE to come to a complete standstill at some points.

Meanwhile, some bargain hunters started lining up at noon on Thanksgiving at the Best Buy off Route 110 in Huntington. Many say they camped out overnight to be one of the first at the low prices on big-ticket items, such as computers and televisions.