CHICAGO — Police spend the year trying to keep their neighborhoods safe. But for one night this week, they'll try to make them fun, too.
Each of the city's 22 police districts will host its own small festival on Tuesday for National Night out, a country-wide campaign meant to strengthen bonds between police departments and the communities they serve.
For the Jefferson Park District on the Far Northwest Side, that will mean games, food, free giveaways and live music at Norwood Park, 5801 N. Natoma Ave. from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The event is a rare opportunity for neighbors to get to know their local officers in a low-pressure environment, according to CAPS officer Melissa Lehrmann, one of the event's organizers.
"It's a time when police and the community can come together without anyone calling 911," Lehrmann said. "It's a different way to interact, when no one's in distress — it's like a bonding experience."
Kids at the festival can head to a bounce castle or face-painting booth while adults check out a classic car show with more than 200 antique rides, Lehrmann said.
Dinner and snacks will be sold from a corral of food trucks from restaurants like Smilin Dawgs, La Cocinita, The Fat Shallot and Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique.
Representatives of ComEd and Peoples Gas will man booths to answer questions on citywide street projects, and police will give out free school supplies, flashlights, Frisbees and more from their own table, Lehrmann said.
The local cover band Todd and the Ten Pins and an Elvis Presley impersonator are both lined up to perform, she said.
