National Night Out Day

National Night Out Day is observed annually in the United States on the first Tuesday of August. It is a nationwide initiative that encourages residents to build stronger relationships with local law enforcement, neighbors, and community groups. The goal is to promote public safety, reduce crime, and strengthen trust between communities and the police through local events and face-to-face interaction.

Each year, millions of people participate in activities such as block parties, cookouts, parades, safety demonstrations, and youth events—transforming neighborhoods into welcoming spaces for community connection and awareness.

History and Origin of National Night Out Day

National Night Out was launched in 1984 by Matt Peskin, founder of the National Association of Town Watch (NATW). The first event involved around 2.5 million residents in 400 communities across 23 states. Initially, people were encouraged to simply turn on their porch lights and sit outside to show solidarity in keeping their communities safe.

Since then, the initiative has expanded dramatically. Today, it includes over 38 million participants across more than 17,000 communities in all 50 U.S. states, U.S. territories, and military bases around the world. The program has been recognized for its role in fostering crime prevention and strengthening neighborhood spirit.

Here in this video you can see how the city of Lawrence celebrated National Night Out Day in 2022:

When Is National Night Out Day?

National Night Out Day is celebrated on the first Tuesday of August, but there are exceptions. In Texas and some parts of the southern U.S., the event is often held on the first Tuesday in October due to the intense summer heat.

Here are the upcoming dates:

Quick Facts About National Night Out Day

• The first National Night Out in 1984 focused on neighbors turning on porch lights as a symbol of community watch.
• Events now include block parties, parades, food festivals, and public safety demonstrations.
• More than 38 million people across the U.S. participate each year.
• The day fosters direct communication between citizens, police, and civic groups.
• In areas with extreme summer heat, including Texas, the event is celebrated in October.
• The initiative has inspired similar community-focused programs internationally.

Before You Go:

We have many more national days lists for you to explore.

• Food-related national days: complete list of national food days, pasta & noodles days, vegan & vegetarian days, mushroom days, ice-cream days, pizza days, coffee days, chocolate days, wine days, alcohol & drinking days.
• Non-food national days: National Days Calendar 2025 (check out the printable calendars in my Etsy shop), National Days for Teachers, and a wide array of special lists such as cat days, dog days, animal days, cleaning & organizing days, book days, music days, family & relationships days, national days for women, stationery days and even Harry Potter days.
• Country-specific national days: Australian national days, more coming soon.

📝 This article was originally published on July 26th, 2024. It has been thoroughly updated, and the publishing date has been changed to reflect the new version.