Black Friday draws crowds to Rosemont's Fashion Outlets of Chicago and Michigan Avenue

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago area didn't see reports of brawls over bargains this Black Friday, but the crowds of shoppers kept up a steady pace.

"It hasn't been that bad. I guess we're mentally prepared for it," said shopper Jerry Ramirez. "You know, it's part of the fun."

While the day of deals was fun for some shoppers, it became close to a full body contact sport for others.

"You have to come in prepared," said Jordan Wirtz. "You have to know what you want and you have to be serious about it."

It takes a serious shopper to go straight from the Thanksgiving table to the mall, but these bargain hunters knew what they were in for.

"We had to park about a mile away, plus at the light getting off 294, it took us about an hour in traffic," Kim Wirtz said.

Some even lined up overnight, hoping to be among the first to get through the doors at the Fashion Outlets of Chicago in Rosemont.

RELATED: Black Friday Deals 2019: Walmart, Macy's, Target, Best Buy online, in-store sales

Once inside, hundreds of shoppers waited in lines for hours to get inside the Prada, Gucci and Burberry stores. Saratta Riddles knew exactly how to kill time.

"Actually, I'm shopping online, while I'm standing in line right now," said Riddles, who drove in from Elmwood Park.

Online or in line, the bottom line is there were plenty of lines Friday.

On Michigan Avenue the longest line was the new Starbucks Rotisserie. Canada Goose shoppers were offered candy for their patience, a small perk for standing in line for coats that never go on sale, not even on Black Friday.

But Water Tower Place had plenty of bargains.

"It's too many people. Crazy. We had to leave a store, we couldn't breathe," said Lemaya Mullins from Peoria.

At least the Mullins family could find each other in the crowds. It was a good day to wear the ugly sweater and stand out.

"I really like it, it's not ugly," said Dennis Mullins.

Surrounded by a growing number of shopping bags, Wendy Yellina has become her family's bag watcher every Black Friday.

"The older I get the more bags I watch," said Wendy Yellina, from Louisville, Kentucky.