Union City residents have a free, family-friendly way to spend this evening: the Union City Police Department is turning Union Landing’s Walmart parking lot into a National Night Out gathering with public-safety vehicles, food, music and face time with first responders. The 4-to-8 p.m. event is the city’s local piece of the 43rd annual America’s Night Out Against Crime. Admission is free, and children are promised school supplies and special surprises.
The Union City Police Department is encouraging residents to lock their doors and spend the evening outside with neighbors, community groups and public safety officers. The Union Landing event listing says the department may not be able to visit individual block parties this year because of limited resources, making the centralized celebration the place for neighborhoods to gather.
The city’s summer activity guide lists UCPD, California Highway Patrol officers, Alameda County firefighters, Alameda County Public Health representatives and city officials among the people residents can meet. The lineup also includes a SWAT truck, mobile command vehicle, drones and robots, giving kids and curious grown-ups plenty to inspect beyond the usual police cruiser.
What’s Planned At Union Landing
Food and entertainment are part of the pitch, with live music, vendor samples and the official block-party barbecue from Texas Roadhouse. Starbucks is providing a refresher iced beverage, while Don Julio’s Taqueria and Kona Ice are offering event-priced treats, according to the event details.
National Night Out is held on the first Tuesday in August and is designed to bring residents and law enforcement together under more welcoming circumstances than a traffic stop or emergency call. The National Association of Town Watch, which introduced the campaign in 1984, says communities now mark the occasion with block parties, cookouts, safety demonstrations and visits from emergency personnel across the country.
The Union City celebration runs Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m. in the Walmart parking lot at Union Landing, where the city is asking residents to turn a crime-prevention message into an evening of food, music and neighborhood introductions.
