Local residents came out in droves to the Beauregard Parish Fairgrounds on Tuesday Aug. 3 to take part in National Night Out. National Night Out is a community building event celebrated across the country on the first Tuesday in August.

Free and open to the public, the event was designed to strengthen the bond between the police and the communities they protect.

This year’s National Night Out in DeRidder had food, games, safety demonstrations, live music, a classic car show, door prize giveaways, a scavenger hunt, and fireworks at the end of the night.

Through a fun and family friendly festival atmosphere, locals got the chance to get a little closer to the dedicated men and women who serve their communities. Attendees got to meet with local police, firefighters, EMT’s, first responders, and military personnel.

DeRidder Police Chief Craig Richard spoke to the Beauregard Daily News at the event and expressed his gratitude to all those who partnered with them to make the event happen. He noted that this is the DeRidder Police Department’s third year participating with National Night Out, and felt that it was a complete success.

Richard said: “This is a community event designed to bring people together, and I think we’ve done that. I think that it’s a great event.”

Beauregard Parish Sheriff Mark Herford also spoke to the Beauregard Daily News at the event and stated that it meant a lot to him to see a large turnout for the event.

“It really means a lot to me and Chief Craig. We’ve been planning this for months, and to see it finally come to fruition is something special.”

This article originally appeared on Leesville Daily Leader: DPD’s 3rd annual National Night Out big hit in DeRidder