URBANA – University of Illinois students received more than half of the citations issued Friday night during Unofficial St. Patrick's Day.

Others received injuries.

The annual event, now in its 13th year, has grown from a promotional event by a local bar owner to a two-day drinking binge across Campustown that draws students and out-of-town fans.

Police increased their presence on campus this year, focusing on private parties in apartment buildings.

"I think it's much busier this year," said Champaign Police Lt. Brad Yohnka. "I think the warm weather played a big part in that" with the temperature reaching a high of 72.

At about 9:30 p.m., Yonkha said police were just starting to receive calls about fights.

Up until then, police had issued 123 citations for various reasons, including public possession of alcohol. University of Illinois students received 67 of those.

By 8:45 p.m., police had issued 41 citations for underage drinking and 46 citations for public possession of alcohol.

Mitchell Lanik, 20, was one of those on the receiving end.

A sophomore at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Lanik came to town specifically for Unofficial.

He said he walked 40 blocks with an open container of alcohol before being arrested by police. He was fined $155. That was at 11:59 a.m. Friday.

His party began Thursday night.

"I haven't stopped; I haven't slept; I'm going to keep going," Lanik said.

Police were also called out at 6:30 p.m. to the 800 block of South Fourth Street, where a man in his 20s fell three stories from an apartment balcony. He was hospitalized with unknown injuries and an investigation is ongoing, Yohnka said.

The man was attempting to climb from a third-floor balcony to a fourth-floor balcony when he fell, according to neighbors at a house next door. They were preparing to play a drinking game involving beer and Ping-Pong balls.

The accident prompted an onlooker, however, to end his own Unofficial festivities.

"I'm done," said Nick Kowalczyk, 18.

Earlier in the day, Illinois State University students Steve Gross, 20, and Brett Victor, 21, were hanging around Sixth Street at about 3 p.m., getting ready for nap time. The duo came in Thursday night so they could fully experience Unofficial, they said.

Their day began at 6:30 a.m. Friday, with breakfast and a shot of some sort of liquor. It continued at 10 a.m. with a beer "power hour," a drinking game in which participants take a shot of beer every time a song changes. The song changes every minute, Gross said.

The game continues for an hour. In total, each participant drinks the equivalent of six or seven beers.

Next came the "Irish Car Bomb," a drink that is made from a pint of Guinness Stout, Bailey's Irish Cream and Jameson Irish Whiskey.

It foams and you have to drink it really fast, Gross said.

By Friday afternoon, however, the group was ready for a nap.

"And then we get ready for a concert," he said.

Balconies were packed – beer dripped like rain from a few – and underage and of-age drinkers or onlookers walked the streets.

Scott Cochrane, owner of Firehaus and founder of the event, which began in 1996, said he thought this year appeared to be more tame than others by late afternoon.

"It seems to be a lot more under control this year," he said.