Hyattsville National Night Out Details

Hyattsville's National Night Out event is tonight. It's been a perpetually, immensely popular city event which has brought joy to all who have been lucky enough to feel its warm proactive-community-outreaching embrace. And this is its first year being hosted in West Hyattsville. 

National Night Out, which turns 30 this year, is a nationwide community event designed to foster greater cooperation between law enforcement and the public.

This year, as a result of a desire to incorporate international-themed performers to the event, the city has hired two musical ensembles to provide entertainment. Participants will get to groove to Hyattsville-based Positive Vibrations Youth Steel Orchestra beginning at 6:15 p.m. and Brazilian percussion ensemble Samba Trovao at 7:30 p.m. 

There's also snow cone and cotton candy prizes, moon bounces, crafts for sale, the ever popular Mandy the Clown, and a Bike Rodeo sponsored by Arrow Bicycle. The city encourages children participating in the rodeo to wear a bicycle helmet. 

The event goes from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Hamilton Street between Queens Chapel Road and Ager Road, and is almost directly accessible from the West Hyattsville Metro Station. As a result, Hamilton Street will be closed in that area from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. as the road is prepared for the event.

Unfortunately, for the first time in several years, helicopter crews from various area law enforcement agencies will not be landing at Hyattsville's National Night Out festivities. The aircraft had always been a big draw when they would land at Magruder Park. Last year, helicopter units from the Prince George's County Police Department and the United States Park Police landed at Hyattsville's night out festivities. According to Hyattsville Chief of Police Doug Holland, there simply was no room for the aircraft to safely land in the more urban Hamilton Street environment. Holland said there was a chance that local law enforcement aviation units could perform a flyby over Hamilton Street during the event.

But alas, what matter such concerns when we will all be but dust someday.

Edited to more appropriately contextualize the event at about 11:30 a.m.