100s of cops, 1000s in costume converge in Chapel Hill for Halloween

About 32,000 people turned out for the annual bash, and it was the first time in a while that the holiday fell on a weekend, providing the first true test of the more focused "Homegrown Halloween."

The event was established by Chapel Hill leaders after crowds grew to more than 80,000 eight years ago.

Since that peak in 2007, the crowds have been more in control and roamed within a contained area, joined by hundreds of law enforcement officers. The most common problem comes when revelers overindulge in alcohol.

On Friday, 13 people were arrested or cited. Six of those people were charged with alcohol-related crimes. One person was charged with assaulting a firefighter and for resist, delay or obstruct, and another was charged with simple assault.

Without the need to be up for work or school the next morning, town leaders expected larger crowds to stay out later, and they extended the official hours of the event until midnight. Roads in the area reopened shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday, police said.