Occurring each year on the first Tuesday in August, National Night Out can mean a lot of different things to Philomath-area residents depending on age and interest.
Younger attendees might be excited to sit in a police car, get an up-close look at a fire engine or climb up into a patrol boat. The adults, meanwhile, might be more interested in posing questions to those in uniform in an effort to learn more about a particular program or better understand some specific facet of law enforcement’s role in the community.
Or, some might just show up for the free food.
No matter what the reason, this year’s National Night Out event hosted by the local police department will run from 6-8 p.m. Aug. 6 at Philomath City Park. Joining Philomath Police will be several other agencies and organizations, including the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Philomath Fire and Rescue, Oregon National Guard, Heartland Humane Society, Philomath Farmers’ Market, Pioneer Connect, Philomath Community Services, Maxtivity Arts and Crafts Creative Space and others.
Marcia Gilson, a volunteer administrative reserve for Philomath Police, said this year’s event is going to feature something a little different.
“We are creating a little passport card for those attending the event to go around to all of the different organizations present — get it signed off and they can then turn it in for a prize,” Gilson said.
Gilson said an idea behind the passport activity is to encourage people to stop at all of the displays, which increases their exposure to the various organizations.
For those who have attended in the past, the rest of the setup will look familiar. As mentioned, organizers are planning to offer free food
National Night Out has become a traditional annual event across the country with safety demonstrations, youth events, vehicles on display and interaction with emergency personnel in a relaxed atmosphere among the typical activities.
Philomath City Park is located at 299 S. 23rd. St.