Black Friday at Macy's flagship store in midtown Manhattan has a different vibe than the typical hometown mall. For many in the crowd, the shopping is secondary: The real fun was in the spectacle.

Television crews recorded the event, a lone preacher ranted against greed and a mass of humanity waited for the store's doors to open.

Not everyone is from New York. Out-of-towners far outnumber the locals, and some shoppers even made the trek from overseas.

Ired Savilla, in town with her friends Irma Gutierrez and Manuel Orbino, did not plan on a Black Friday foray. But the 24-year-old Venezuelan heard about it from fellow tourists and thought it sounded like fun.

"We weren't going to stay this long but we changed our flight to Saturday so we could come here," said Savilla.

South Americans were well represented. Three sisters in their early and mid-20s, Michelle, Andrea and Rosanna Ichida, were in from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Their interest in the sale was stoked by media coverage.

"We watched Thanksgiving on television and wanted to see it ourselves," said Andrea.

Shopping-wise, they had their sights set on luggage. "Prices are a lot less expensive than in Sao Paulo," said Michelle.

Susan Shepard and Micky Appleton, of Andover, England, were celebrating their 50th birthdays. The pair had treated themselves to a helicopter ride over New York, a visit to the 9/11 memorial and a carriage ride in Central Park. Friday was their last full day in town and the women were capping off the trip with Midnight at Macy's.

"We already sussed out what we want to buy," said Appleton. Purses were first on her list.