Hudson celebrated another successful National Night Out on August 4 as families, students, and visitors from surrounding communities filled the grounds of Rodgers Memorial Library. With the Hudson Police Department serving as host and partner, the event once again blended public safety outreach, community connection, and summer festivities – a combination that has made National Night Out one of the town’s most anticipated annual gatherings.
Master Patrol Officer Ron Cloutier said the event remains a cornerstone of the department’s outreach efforts, giving officers a chance to interact with residents in a relaxed, family friendly setting.
“National Night Out is an exposure because it’s almost right in the middle of summer time where we get the kids where they’ve had their summer vacations, they’ve had that time off, and we can make those community contacts,” Cloutier said. “We show that we’re people, we give back to the community as much as they give to us. It’s building connections to show we’re not people to be feared of. We want them to come up to talk to us – we’re human – and that’s our outreach.”
One of the most popular traditions returned this year: the annual Police vs. Fire Tug-of-War, which drew a large crowd and plenty of cheering. After losing the 2025 match up, the Police Department reclaimed the rope and the bragging rights.
“We did it again!” Cloutier said, celebrating the win. “It’s just another to add to the wall.”
The evening also served as a moment of gratitude for retiring Library Director Linda Pilla, who used the event to thank residents for their support during her eight years at Rodgers Memorial.
“This town, this place, Hudson – what a great community,” Pilla said. “It has been my honor to serve as a librarian, and my honor to get to know so many of you. It takes my breath away to look over the last eight years and think about what a great opportunity it has been.”
National Night Out featured a wide range of activities, including first responder vehicle displays, a climbing wall, music, games, a photo booth, and hands-on demonstrations. Youth organizations took full advantage of the opportunity to showcase their work.
Members of Future Techies brought robotics equipment and 3Dprinted giveaways. “We do robotics with an organization called FIRST,” said Everett, a member of the group. “We have XRP trying to stay in a circle, we’ve got little robots strung off two different types of programming. The XRP we’re using Blockly programming for, and we’re handing out little 3D printed robots that my grandfather printed.”
Students from the Alvirne Sustainability Club also staffed a booth, sharing recycling tips and environmental information with attendees. “I love organizing events like this and going to public things, just really telling people about things that they may not know about,” said Phoenix, a club member. “A lot of people don’t know how to properly recycle a bunch of things. You can’t recycle pizza boxes.”
Local nonprofits used the event to connect with residents and raise awareness of their services. Carlos Pestana, Vice President of the Hudson Food Pantry, said the turnout helped the organization reach new families. “It’s nice to see the turnout that the community has here,” Pestana said. “We’re here to advertise that there is a pantry in town, and we’ve had people come up and ask questions about what we do.”
Natalie Newell, President of the Friends of Benson Park, shared updates on upcoming park events, including the soft opening of the Elephant Barn Discovery Center on September 12. “Our mission is to help conserve Benson Park and also to preserve its memory as the world famous Benson’s Wild Animal Farm,” Newell said. “We’re going to have a petting zoo, a couple of live bands, games, food trucks – and that’s exciting.”
A unique addition to this year’s Night Out was the appearance of the First New Hampshire Regiment, a Revolutionary War reenactment group invited as part of Hudson’s participation in America’s upcoming 250th Anniversary celebrations. The group fired its cannon during the event, drawing a crowd of curious onlookers.
“We reenact the original First New Hampshire Regiment, which was an actual regiment that existed during the Revolution,” said reenactor Bob Mackey. “We do little events like this, parades during marching, to full blown reenactments.”
With strong attendance, enthusiastic participation, and a wide range of activities, Hudson’s 2026 National Night Out once again demonstrated the town’s commitment to community engagement – and its ability to bring residents together for a night of connection, learning, and summer fun.
