Come hang out with local police officers during National Night Out Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019, in Downtown Lenoir.

National Night Out is a nationwide event that promotes police and community engagement. During the event, residents can meet local police officers, ask questions, and learn about the police department.

The City of Lenoir Police Department hosts a downtown block party to celebrate National Night Out. This year, residents can come enjoy games, live music, free food and drinks, tram rides, a police car show, and more! The National Night Out block party will be from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on the square in Downtown Lenoir.

Police Chief Brent Phelps said the event is a way to build relationships and reach out to the community.

“National Night Out is a great way for our officers to meet residents and interact with people in a friendly environment,” Phelps said. “Unfortunately, folks normally call the police when something bad is happening. That’s not a great time to get to know each other. We want to build relationships and build trust in advance, so we can call upon that reserve when we need to.”

To learn more about how National Night Out started, visit natw.org/about.

The event is free.

The festival area is on Main Street from Harper Avenue to Ash Avenue and West Avenue from Mulberry Street to Boundary Street. Parking is available in several lots downtown.

On the City of Lenoir website at https://bit.ly/2lJiv0A.