National Night Out is always a special evening in Suffolk, and this year’s event promises to be the best one yet.

This is the 35th year, so the celebration is getting better and better with age. There are several new communities participating this year, according to the observation by reporter Alex Perry at Tuesday’s community kick-off event.

And, well, we can always hope that it will be unseasonably cool that day. There’s something that would really make it special.

National Night Out, founded by the National Association of Town Watch, harkens to the olden days when there was little crime in neighborhoods and folks often sat out on their porches watching the days go by. The event encourages participants to lock their doors, turn on their porch lights and get outside, thereby getting to know their neighbors and local law enforcement and presenting a united front against crime.

Some community events in Suffolk still evoke that old sense of community — a dozen or so neighbors relaxing in lawn chairs arranged around a grill or rapidly melting jugs of ice cream in someone’s front yard.

Other events in Suffolk have grown larger, being held at large gathering places and attracting thousands for children’s activities, entertainment and more.

However your community does National Night Out, we highly recommend your eager participation. If you learn more about your neighborhood, meet a local police officer or the guy down the street, or find an opportunity to get involved in your civic league, neighborhood watch or other community organization, it will be a success.

Churches and businesses are also in on the fun, so there’s bound to be a celebration near you.

National Night Out will be held Aug. 7, and more information or registration can be found at suffolknno.com.