AMHERST - Hobart Hoedown was not part of the weekend activities for local college students, but police remained busy Saturday and Sunday shutting down large parties in North Amherst and charging more than two dozen people with liquor law violations.

Police Detective Gabe Ting said Sunday morning that the department was at full staffing throughout the weekend and was assisted by state police in dealing with loud college-age people milling about throughout town.

"There were several good-sized house parties, but no major disturbances," Ting said.

One of the largest of these parties occurred Saturday at 1:01 a.m. at 112 Meadow St., where an estimated 300 to 500 college-age people had gathered in the back yard of the home.

While eight officers spent half-an-hour clearing out the party-goers, police arrested David W. Lafleur, 20, of Whitinsville, on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct after he threw a beer bottle at a police officer, Ting said.

Even as police handled this party, some of those in attendance made their way toward the nearby Townehouse Apartments, at 50 Meadow St., where police had been called to handle an even larger disturbance the previous weekend.

At 1:32 a.m., security personnel working for the apartment complex reported more than 100 people in the quad throwing beer bottles. Ten officers spent 45 minutes dispersing this crowd.

Later in the day, enforcement actions resumed at Townehouse Apartments, Hobart Lane and near the corner of North Pleasant and Fearing streets, where at around 4:30 p.m. 24 people were arrested or summoned to court on various alcohol-related charges, including being minors in possession of alcohol and violating the town's open container bylaw.

Ting said this was an effort to demonstrate that police didn't want students to become disruptive. "It was for preventative measures," Ting said.

The effort may have worked, as only one major party occurred in the early morning hours of Sunday, when police found 400 to 500 people gathered in the large basement area of Presidential Apartments, at 950 North Pleasant St. Eight officers worked for 30 minutes clearing the scene where a disc jockey had equipment set up.

Police also dealt with smaller parties on Sunrise Avenue and College Street Sunday at 12:36 a.m. and 1:19 a.m.

A number of smaller incidents took place in Amherst during the weekend.

Brandon Christopher Henneman, 20, of Townehosue Apartments, unit 86, was arrested at his home Friday at 11:06 p.m. on a charge of violating the town's noise bylaw, Ting said. Police cleared out 40 to 50 people gathered there.

On Saturday at 12:09 a.m., a 20-year-old Wendell man was found in the middle of Nutting Avenue with a knife in his hand. He will be summoned to court on a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon after he waved it at people gathered at a nearby bus stop.

Hadley also saw at least one large party, with state and UMass police responding to a Route 9 location Saturday at 1:48 a.m.

Following is a list of the alcohol-related arrests made and summons issued by Amherst police during between Friday at 10:49 p.m. and Saturday at 8:56 p.m.

The following people were arrested on charges of being minors in possession of alcohol and violating the town's open container bylaw, police said:

Craig William Farrell, 18, of Millis; Philip Newton Ford, 19, of South Yarmouth; Scott David Giacomozzi, 20, of Waltham; Patrick James Hopkins, 20, of Brattleboro, Vt.; Christian McCracken, 20, of Princeton, N.J.; Sarkis D. Nahigian, 20, of North Falmouth; Jaclyn Marie O'Halloran, 19, of Wakefield; Christopher Michael Parillo, 18, of West Springfield; Brendan Thomas Swistak, 19, of Westfield; Matthew Douglas Walters, 19, of Princeton, N.J.; Matthew James Whiting, 19, of Leominster; and Gregory Stephen Wiggin, 20, of Marshfield.

Giacomozzi and McCracken were also arrested on charges of possession of fake IDs, while Swistak was also arrested on a charge of possession of a class B substance, police said

The following people were arrested on charges of being minors in possession of alcohol, police said:

Bradford Michael Arone, 20, of Rochester; Renee Ellen Bussenber, 20, of Rochester; Michael Richard Dutra, 18, of Berkley; Laura Barrett Lyons, 20, of Feeding Hills; and Kelly Lee Poirier, 20, of Feeding Hills.

The following people were arrested on charges of violating the town's open container bylaw, police said:

James Robert Brown Jr., 22, of 1040 North Pleasant St., unit 559; Amritpaul Singh Chatha, 22, of Rowley; and Katrina Marie Francescone, 21, of West Newbury.

In addition, police summoned seven people to court on charges of violating the town's open container bylaw, two people on charges of being a minor in possession of alcohol and violating the town's open container bylaw and one person on a charge of being a minor in possession of alcohol.