BY BETH VELLIQUETTE

bvelliquette@heraldsun.com; 918-1042

CHAPEL HILL -- When they finally opened up the street to the revelers, a couple of guys ran to the center of Franklin and Columbia streets and began break dancing.

One hopped up and down on one hand while kicking his feet in the air.

Halloween officially kicked off at that moment as officers rushed to place barrels in the street to stop any vehicles from entering the area.

The efforts of the town to make Halloween on Franklin Street a more local and smaller event seemed to be working. In past years, so many people crowded into the street it was nearly impossible to walk from one end to the other, but on Saturday night, there were lighter crowds.

About half the people on the street wore costumes, while the rest came as dorks, spoil sports and party poopers, i.e. they didn't wear costumes.

Emily Tinsley, 18, a freshman at UNC had people laughing as she limped up the street leaning on a walker. Wearing a housecoat, sneakers and support socks she bought at Wal-Mart, she brought along a pack of adult diapers and a bottle of Tums.

"I had some greasy food earlier," she explained. I don't know how it's going to settle."

Rocky Balboa strutted up and down the street in his All-American trunks and red boxing gloves, as three blind mice ran by. Men dressed as women limped around on high heels, wearing short shorts and stuffed bras.

Toby Kuttler, 23, a UNC student, came as a trash warrior, wearing a costume made of pizza boxes and beer cartons. He had a small sword made of cardboard but the police took it away as he entered the area.

"I'm only like a half warrior," he said.

A couple that had to stop and pose for photographs nearly every step wore bloody bride and groom outfits. "Wedding gone bad, zombie attacked us," said Shonna Okada, 45, whose neck and chest were covered with dripping gore.

Her groom, Bill Mulligan, 48, had rib bones showing through his jacket.

Real rib bones. He saved them from a meal at Appleby's and glued them on with fake blood and gelatin.

"We just like the gore," he said. "Every year we get gorier and gorier."

A Mark Phelps strutted around in his Speedo with gold medals hanging from his chest, while a Tom Cruise -- or was it Roy Williams? -- danced around in a shirt, underwear and socks.

At 10:30 p.m., Lt. Kevin Gunter reported that so far everything was cool and calm. He had not heard any reports of arrests or EMS calls. The crowd at 10:30 p.m. was about the same size as it was last year, when the town first tried its new scaled-down Halloween event.