Smiles are the first thing you notice about Stafford’s annual National Night Out celebration at Stafford Marketplace. Last year, more than 8,000 people enjoyed the fantastic family-friendly event sponsored by the Stafford Sheriff’s Office. National Night Out is a community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and the forging of neighborhood connections. This year, the event is on Tuesday, August 7, 2018, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Everything at the event, including food, is free.

“We look forward to this night every year. It’s wonderful to see so many smiling faces having a great time and having time to chat with them,” said First Sgt. Michelle Gibbons, Stafford Sheriff’s Office. “The opportunity to bring so many members of our community together in one safe place and connect with them is nothing short of amazing.”

The atmosphere at the main National Night Out at Stafford Marketplace is like a carnival with more than 140 exhibitors. The exhibitors run the gamut with community groups and businesses like churches, banks, restaurants, children’s services and more.  Stafford Fire and Rescue and the Sheriff’s Office both bring equipment for children and adults to check out. There are balloons, climbing walls, ice cream, hot dogs, police dog demonstrations, live music and lots of fun stuff for the whole family. Some exhibitors even hand out useful items for back to school. 

Part of the mission of National Night Out is to encourage neighborhoods to hold their own events showing that they are united in making their communities safe. This year, ten neighborhoods will host their own National Night Out celebrations:

Over 38 million neighbors take part in more than 16,000 communities all over the United States, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide. If you would like more information on this year’s event, or how to hold your own future event, please visit www.staffordsheriff.com.