5 Things to Know About National Night Out

The community will celebrate National Night Out Tuesday. Here's a guide to the festivities:

1. Happy 30th (and 10th): This is the 30th anniversary of the popular event nationwide, which is held the first Tuesday in August (first Tuesday in October in Texas). National Night Out celebrates community crime watch programs and law enforcement. In its first year, the event had 2.5 million participants, according to the National Association of Town Watch, but now there are more than 37 million people in more than 15,000 communities participating. And this is the 10th anniversary of National Night Out in North Andover.

2. When/Where: National Night Out in North Andover will be Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. in the North Andover Middle School field. Arrive early, because the parking situation on surrounding streets will become crowded.

3. It's All Free: There will be lots of food and other items available, as well as a chance for the kids to check out fire trucks and other fun activities, all free. The idea of National Night Out is to give the community a free night out in the community, so vendors are not allowed to sell their products.

4. Leave the Pups at Home: There are no dogs allowed at the event (other than the K-9 dogs doing their demonstrations).

5. No ATV Rides: Due to safety concerns and questions over a state ATV safety law, this year's NNO will not feature ATV rides for the kids. The ATVs will be there, however, and kids can have their photo taken with the machines.

Enjoy the night!

And businesses signed up as vendors for National Night Out, check here for set-up details by Tracey Zysk!