Neighborhoods in the city of Minot and communities in the surrounding region will join forces with thousands of communities nationwide for the 35th Annual National Night Out crime and drug prevention event today.

This year’s event will be at Minot High School’s Magic City Campus from 5:30-8 p.m. Admission and all activities, games, displays and food are free to the public.

This year about 20 different law enforcement, firefighting, emergency medical services and U.S. Air Force organizations are scheduled to have hands-on displays of vehicles and equipment, K-9 demonstrations, fingerprinting for school age children and Trinity Criticair helicopter.

Also, a wide cross-section of local professionals and volunteers will be on hand with information and activity booths, games, food and inflatable “bounce houses.”

National Night Out is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch and co-sponsored locally by the Minot Police Department.

The Minot Police Department first hosted a local National Night Out event in 2010, inviting the public to enjoy an evening out with a DJ playing music, ice cream, a few door prizes and the opportunity to chat with a couple Minot Police Department officers. This event has grown in size and popularity each year as more and more organizations and area residents join together to take a stand for the community and against crime. What started as about 300 curious residents stopping by has grown to about 3,000 excited area participants returning annually.