National Night Out, Night to Unite block parties return

Maybe, at least for this year, it might be time to rename National Night Out and Night to Unite. Maybe something like National Reconnect with your Community Night.

Because in communities across Minnesota and in hundreds of Twin Cities neighborhoods, folks repeatedly expressed an eagerness to reconnect — with neighbors, with police and with a feeling of community.

After two years of a global pandemic, continuing tensions over crime and policing, and a deepening political divide, residents returned to Night Out block parties and barbecues with a palpable yearning to once again feel normal. And safe.

In Minneapolis' Camden neighborhood at 44th and Humboldt avenues in north Minneapolis, entrepreneur Houston White hosted his sixth National Night Out block party. This year, he said, it was especially important to "get a sense of community back."

"There's been a lot of instances of violence, so there has been a mutual anxiety," White said. "Just to have that joy, normalizing having fun together again, seeing the kids hopscotch, hearing music in the background and smell of barbecue, that's the whole thing."

Mayor Jacob Frey used the gathering to introduce Cedric Alexander, his choice to become community safety commissioner.

"This is his first National Night Out. This is one of his first days as a Minneapolis resident, in Minnesota. He's from Florida. But he is one of us," Frey said. "Welcome him, love on him. We've got to support him, because this is going to be a big, big job — you know, safety, accountability, reform, transformation, all that."

At the party in Loring Park, Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Amelia Huffman said the block parties are a way for residents and police to rebuild trust.

"I think these events are really about connecting people. It's an opportunity for folks in nonemergency situations to hopefully have a little bit of conversation with police and see officers in a non-911 situation and share some of their thoughts."

In Minneapolis' Standish neighborhood Tuesday night, kids threw brightly colored wet rags at each other, played cornhole and battled with foam swords as their neighbor, Victor Zupanc, played the accordion.

"We didn't have water balloons so we used rags," said Harper Burns, 13.

Founded in 1984 with the goal of strengthening community ties and improving relationships between civilians and police, National Night Out is expected to draw millions of participants in thousands of communities across the country.

Nearly 200 Minnesota cities and towns — from Ada to Zumbrota — were slated to participate, according to the National Night Out organization. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul had registered events citywide.

Dozens of Minnesota cities from Blaine to Edina to Plymouth take part in the similar Night to Unite festivities, which are typically held on the first Tuesday of August. Often police units and fire crews visit registered parties to promote safety programs.

In St. Paul, smoke from cooking hot dogs wafted through the air on Mackubin Street as Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll" boomed from speakers. Marcia Lang, 58, and Henry Hormann, 55, were celebrating National Night Out. They started organizing their street six years ago.

"When we first started, I don't know that we even knew each other's last names," Lang said. "It's just a night to get together. To unite. To say, 'Hey, we're a neighborhood.' "

Hormann says that message may be more important than ever — especially with spikes in violent crime this summer.

"I think [public safety] is always top of mind. Maybe, especially, more so nowadays," Hormann said. "Increased police presence with accountability for the police is my perfect vision. That's what I'm looking for."

At St. Paul's Parque Castillo on Tuesday night, Mayor Melvin Carter helped residents pack up the 2022 National Night Out. Carter said the city invests in its police officers, but traditional means of addressing public safety do not always work. He hopes the city's new Office of Neighborhood Safety, changes that.

"Those of us who demand new and improved outcomes on public safety — they may not be accessible through just limiting ourselves to the same old approaches," Carter said.

Beth Olson hosted a Night to Unite party in her Woodbury driveway. It's been several years since her neighborhood hosted an event.

"It's time. It's time to do stuff again and get out and meet people," Olson said. "We all have to know each other so we can look out for each other."

Across the state, even as residents ventured out to gather once more, some acknowledged lingering fear.

At the Community OutPost on St. Cloud's south side — a public safety hub known as the Cop House — kids played basketball in the street with police officers and firefighters.

Siyaado Ahmed, 40, brought her young children to the block party for root beer floats. She lamented an increase in neighborhood shootings and fights among teens in recent months.

"We are not feeling safe — it's the whole south side," Ahmed said.

Mary Solan, 54, of neighboring Sauk Rapids brought her kids to the block party to encourage them to meet people and be social — something she said has been difficult since the pandemic.

"You want to be out, and you want to be with people but you're a little on edge, and I don't know if that will ever change," Solan said.

A block party just off 16th Street SW. in Rochester saw a parade of visitors, from police and firefighters to Mayor Kim Norton and City Council candidates. While many residents said they are more anxious about conflict around the globe, 67-year-old Tom Hogue of Preston, Minn., said he worries new COVID strains could force the state to shut down once more.

"Nobody wants to go on lockdown again," he said.

Staff writers Susan Du, Kyeland Jackson, Shannon Prather, Erin Adler, Hana Ikramuddin, Jenny Berg and Trey Mewes contributed to this report.