A night to gather in Dakota County

Tom Vonhof, Lakeville's police chief, has visited some creative neighborhoods during Night to Unite.

Last year, two adjacent houses opened the gates to their back-yard pools and threw a massive pool party. The year before, a race car driver showed off his car in a church parking lot where a rock band played and clowns entertained the kids.

Occasionally, he said, helicopters land at parties. He's even been to bashes that go to the trouble to get sponsors.

"We never know what's going to be at each individual party until we come up," Vonhof said. "Every neighborhood interprets it differently."

Tuesday is the night, and whether your community calls it National Night Out or Night to Unite -- same concept, different name -- you probably know the drill: Lock your front door, turn on your porch light and join your neighbors outside.

Minneapolis embraces the event wholeheartedly and consistently wins top awards for cities of its size, but participation in Dakota County communities has grown, too.

In Eagan, "We had 20 neighborhoods in 1998," said Crime Prevention Specialist Jill Ondrey. "In 2005, we had 60. Last year, we had 192. It seems every year the community gets more excited and more involved. It just has become part of the fabric of Eagan."

"It's amazing how it's evolved over time," Vonhof said. Twenty years ago, during the first event, Lakeville held 15 to 20 parties. This year, 75 have registered so far.

In addition to the standard potluck or barbecue -- and petting zoos, magicians, mini-golf courses, bounce houses, even inflatable water slides -- some neighborhoods participate in community charity drives. Rosemount and Lakeville started collecting nonperishables for local food shelves few years ago. Neighborhoods in South St. Paul collect school supplies to fill backpacks for needy children.

"It's been very successful," said South St. Paul Community Affairs Liaison Deb Griffith. "It's just a perfect time to do it. All the school supplies are on sale. It doesn't take much to fill a backpack. It's a nice thing to do in the community."

Organizers hope the annual night of block parties helps to foster safer neighborhoods.

"It's important for neighbors to get to know their neighbors," said Amber Jacobson, community services specialist in Burnsville. "It's really the best crime prevention program there is. Neighbors know what doesn't feel right."

Citizens also meet city officials or police officers and firefighters, who visit parties and let kids sit in squad cars and check out firetrucks. In some places, members of the Dakota County Mounted Patrol trot up or National Guard members pull up in Humvees.

"It's just a good way for us to connect with the citizens," said Burnsville Fire Marshall Lee LaTourelle. "We don't get out there all that often unless we have an emergency." In Burnsville, he said, they'll plug citizen programs such as CERTs (the Community Emergency Response Team program) or their MVN (mobile volunteer network) when they visit groups.

Farmington Community Service Officer Richard Girard said they've seen more vandalism in neighborhoods recently due to houses in foreclosure. "This is a great way to curb that," he said. "That's what's getting shared. It's good to get people together and talk."

Talk, and eat a lot. "Everywhere you go, they say come and eat with us," Vonhof said. "I don't eat anything that day in preparation."

If you're wondering where to find neighborhood party, look for flying water balloons. "Just follow the kids," Girard said. "You'll know where the party's at."

Liz Rolfsmeier is a Minneapolis freelance writer.