For years, residents have celebrated Crestwood Night Out with their neighbors, local first responders and elected officials. The annual event returns Sept. 13 from 5 – 9 p.m., but this year, the number of neighborhood block parties has been reduced — the city hopes for “more quality time for our public safety teams and more interaction with residents”.
In years past, Crestwood Night Out has featured over 20 parties; this year, there will be 10 established parties, called “Neighborhood Hub Parties,” with an option to sign up to host your own. There is no guarantee that the police or fire department will visit those additional block parties.
“For the last few years, we have known that the popularity of Crestwood Night Out was going to outgrow our ability to provide the time for meaningful exchanges at the individual neighborhood events,” Dion Olson, the community relations officer for the Crestwood Police Department, said. “Last year, we finally reached our breaking point where we absolutely couldn’t make it to all the events.”
Another reason Olson cites for the change is that the events were becoming “overly localized,” so that multiple block parties were being held in close proximity.
“This doesn’t go with the idea that we want to come together for the benefit of all,” Olson said. “Whether that be by working together to keep an eye out for crime or knowing that we have a neighbor that may need a little help around the house every now and then, we want to be able to help facilitate that kind of Crestwood and not the kind of place where none of the neighbors know each other.”
Crestwood Night Out originated several years ago as a local spin on the National Night Out campaign that kicked off in the mid-1980s. The Crestwood event is held on the Saturday closest to Sept. 11, which Olson says “means a lot to us as first responders and makes sure that we never forget.”
To Olson, the event is a way to foster familiarity and community between neighbors, as well as nurture the relationship between Crestwood residents and the first responders who serve their neighborhoods.
Block parties in Ward 1 are at 9411 High Hill Ct. and Vandervoot Court. There are four block parties in Ward 2: 9713 Twincrest Drive, Lopina Boulevard, Spellman Park and the intersection of Fox Park and Norcross drives.
In Ward 3, there are block parties at Our Lady of Providence Catholic Church, the intersection of Grant Park and Grant Haven drives and the intersection of Queenston and Lawndale drives. The one established block party in Ward 4 is at the intersection of Meadowfern and Maple Grove drives.
