Looking for a night out? A fun summer evening is just around the corner.
National Night Out, an annual countrywide community building event, is coming to the Town of North Hempstead and the Villages of Williston Park and Westbury this upcoming Tuesday, Aug. 5.
National Night Out, originated by a Philadelphia resident in 1984 and typically led jointly by the event’s national organization, local municipalities and police precincts, is meant to strengthen partnerships between neighborhoods and law enforcement.
“I think naturally there is sometimes a gap between everyday citizens and sometimes law enforcement or local organizations,” said Kevin Higgins, deputy director of communications for North Hempstead. “I think the less those groups interact, maybe the more likely it is for there to be some contention between them when those interactions do happen. National Night Out is a really good way for local neighbors, community members and law enforcement officials to just talk about goings-on and find common ground in a very informal, casual environment.”
Organized by the Town of North Hempstead, a parade will run through Westbury’s Prospect Avenue at 5:30 p.m., culminating in a festival at “Bunky” Reid Park from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.. There will be BBQ or pizza, free ice cream and beach balls, live jazz music and DJs, face painting, lawn games, a large informational fair and opportunities for residents to connect with local officers.
“There will be groups of like local officers and you can come up and talk to them about questions you may have or going on in the community, and they’re there as a presence. And what makes National Night Out a little different is so many times you see law enforcement officials at places and you’re like, Oh, they’re there, you know, as law enforcement officials, but in this case, they’ll all be there. But they’re not really there right to find people that are littering or jaywalking. They’re there to make themselves available to any neighbors that they have.
While the town has been the main organizer of Westbury’s National Night Out since 2008, the event has taken place annually in the village for over 30 years.
Later in the evening, Williston Park’s annual Children’s Bike Parade for a Safer Williston Park will kick off from Broad Street and Amherst Street at 7 p.m. The parade, which invites kids and parents to ride bikes, scooters or be pushed in a stroller, will travel towards Kelleher Field. It will end at the field’s picnic area with free ice cream and a guest speech from a third precinct officer, who will educate the children on bike safety.
“There are so many kids, especially nowadays, riding bikes,” said Williston Park Mayor Paul Ehrbar. “Maybe coming from a police officer, safety warnings will hopefully make more sense to them and help them understand the need to be careful.”
Ehrbar said his wife, Doreen Ehrbar, started the National Night Out tradition when she was mayor roughly 25 years ago. It began with residents turning on their porch lights overnight as a sign of recognition towards local police and has morphed into this bike parade, which has been ongoing for around 15 years.
“We encourage everybody to come out. It’s a fun evening,” Ehrbar said. “It’s good for the kids to interact with the neighbors.”
A number of other Nassau municipalities, including Manhasset, Port Washington, Massapequa, Bethpage and Syosset, will host National Night Out events next Tuesday.
