Organizers were excited about a larger-than-expected turnout for last year’s Pacific Avenue Business District event.

This year?

“We’re very, very happy with everything,” Debbie Puryear said. “We probably had about 200 people here. A lot more kids too, for some reason. But that just made it even more fun.”

The festival was held in front of Stewart Middle School. Children passed the time by playing on the grass in front of the school.

But National Night Out is more than just a party for one Tacoma neighbor.

“When we moved to Tacoma, we first lived in the Hilltop,” Elizabeth Lonergan said. “We know how they went through their improvements, cleaned up the neighborhood. That was done by the residents being present.

“If citizens are out, the undesirable elements have to come face to face with us. And we can drive them away.”

Judy Robinson has lived in the Whitman area of Tacoma’s South End for more than 30 years, and she has seen plenty of changes in the neighborhood.

She points to houses and tells their stories. A shooting here. A drug house there.

“It was pretty bad for a while,” she said. “We’ve seen a lot. But it’s better. A lot better. And it’s because of the neighbors.”

And community events like Tuesday’s festivities helped mobilize change, she said. She was one of about 125 people who partied on the 3900 block of South K Street, which was closed to traffic.

Tacoma Police Chief Don Ramsdell and assistant chief Bob Sheehan dropped by the party, held on the street in front of Whitman Elementary School.

Kids played on an inflatable water slide, chalked drawings on the sidewalk and dueled in air hockey. Adults feasted on a spread that included everything from hot dogs to gourmet cheeses.

“This is awesome,” 28-year-old Todd Chamberlain said. He and his wife, Sondra, brought their two children, 3-year-old Noah and 1-year-old Caed, to the event.

“We know a lot of people who live on our block and the ones surrounding it,” Sondra said, “but we’re meeting people who live further away. And we’re making an effort to do so, because it’s important.”

Burgers and hot dogs sizzled on the grill. Bowls of tortilla and potato chips shared a long, white table with kebabs, salad, watermelon and brownies.

National Night Out is about crime prevention, but Tacoma resident Linda Nichols is realistic about why more than a hundred people celebrated at Neighbors Park on the Hilltop.

“It’s the free food that brings them in,” she said with a laugh. “Everyone knows it’s free food. This draws everyone. But once we’re here, we celebrate as a neighborhood.

“And that’s really what it’s all about.”

Children kept busy with tetherball or on playground equipment while adults listened to the thumping music. Residents of the 8th and I Neighborhood who don’t routinely mingle gossiped over plates of grub. Police officers and firefighters were also present, shaking hands and chatting.

“This is a pretty good turnout,” said 26-year-old Jorge Baza, who was attending his first National Night Out celebration. “I’m meeting people I didn’t know before.”

The area, part of Tacoma’s Community Based Services program, has improved in recent years because of civic action – including events like these.

“I’ve been coming here the past four or five years,” 55-year-old Ken Meyer said. “You get to know people this way. And we can tell the criminals that they don’t belong here.”

It’s an announcement that makes Kits Merryman wish she was born in the early 90s.

Five teenagers from the Youth on Board program will spend four days working alongside the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Eagle, the barque that was the centerpiece attraction of last month’s Tall Ships Tacoma 2008 festival.

The five were selected based on recommendations from their ships’ captains and evaluations based on participation and performance from the Youth on Board program, when 47 teens sailed from Victoria, B.C., to Tacoma.

They’ll board the Eagle in San Pedro, Calif., and sail to San Diego on Aug. 20-24.

The five teens are:

Meagan Southworth of Tacoma, age 17
Sydney Lynden of Lakewood, age 18 at time of sailing
Kristie Spadoni of Gig Harbor , age 17
Jayna Gilley of Bellevue, age 18
Elizabeth Ross of Port Angeles, age 16

I'll be bouncing around to several National Night Out festivities today. Any ideas which ones I should hit up?