“Community events like National Night Out are what bring everyone together collectively, while connecting people with the resources that they need,” says Marvin Thomas, Heartside Downtown Neighborhood leader. The Heartside Downtown Neighborhood Association hosted National Night Out on Tuesday, August 6, at Heartside Park. Local police officers joined community members from downtown Grand Rapids and Heartside Residents for an evening of community fun. The event was free, family-friendly, and took place from 5:30 pm-8:30 pm. This year’s National Night Out offered a variety of food, yard activities, face painting, sidewalk chalk, a live drum circle, mobile art project, prizes, and resource tables from neighboring organizations and businesses.
Public Art Engagement
Art and representation Has a long standing history in Heartside and Downtown neighborhoods. At national night out 2019, Neighbors, Residents, and community members collaboratively created an art piece that represented how they saw their community. This collaborative art piece is utilized by the Neighborhood association as a public depiction of community effort.
