National Night Out returns for 2024

National Night Out is a nationwide community-building event held on the first Tuesday of August in communities across the country to promote awareness and cooperation between police and first responders, on one hand, with local residents. “[The event] enhances the relationship between (the community) and law enforcement…,” according to their website. The social setting of National Night Out is meant to create camaraderie in an informal setting to make communities safer.

This year the event will be held on Aug. 6 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Murray Street north of 2nd Avenue in Niwot.

The Niwot Community Association (NCA) has hosted Niwot’s celebration of National Night Out in partnership with the Boulder County Sheriff's Office since 2018. 2023 was the only year the event was not held in Niwot because it was canceled minutes before it was scheduled to begin due to inclement weather.

Deputy Robert Philbrick has been the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office coordinator, but this will be his last year in the position before it is taken over by Deputy Cory Hoople. Both men plan to be present at this year’s event.

Live music will be performed courtesy of the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band, with selections geared to the theme of the event, including “Danger Zone,” “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” and “Stayin’ Alive.”

Free food and beverages will be available thanks to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office. There will be the usual hotdogs and hamburgers as well as salads from the Niwot Market purchased by the NCA. Other businesses and organizations such as Target and the Rotary Club of Niwot will be handing out snacks, ice cream, and bottled water. Nacho Mama’s Tacos will also supply food for all the attendees.

The usual attractions will also return, including a fire truck, a police cruiser, and an EMT vehicle that kids can climb through. The NCA hopes that the “Bearcat” armored truck will also be at the event, but it is not promised as it is a high demand item for all National Night Out events in Boulder County, and the NCA will not know definitively until the day of the event.

All vehicles as well as first-responder attendees will all be on active-duty, including SWAT team members, the K-9 Mountain Rescue Squad, school resource officers, Mountain View Fire Rescue firefighters, Colorado State Patrol officers, and Longmont Rescue personnel all of whom who have been invited to attend and engage with the Niwot community.

NCA President and National Night Out event organizer, David Limbach said, “For me, the most enjoyable sight is the smile on a kid’s face as they sit in the driver’s seat of the firetruck or cruiser. You just know that they are going to go home and make revving sounds and pretend to be driving that vehicle for the next couple of days.”