Livingston's police and fire departments are joining forces for a community block party the department says will be larger than anything they've staged before, combining three separate traditions into one afternoon at the Oval on Saturday, Sept. 26.

The Third Annual Community Block Party runs from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at Livingston Memorial Park & Oval on Robert H. Harp Drive. The Livingston Police Department is teaming up with Youth Appreciation Week's Family Fun Festival and the Livingston Fire Department's Annual Open House, according to a department announcement reported by New Jersey Hills.

The event is free.

Police Chief Gary Marshuetz previewed the block party at the Tuesday, July 28 Township Council meeting, according to a video posted by the township's official Facebook page. The department described the 2026 edition as expanded and improved over previous years.

Marshuetz has made community engagement a recurring theme. At a July 30 swearing-in ceremony for five new patrol officers, he told the council, "Very few officers leave Livingston, and the number one reason why, I believe, is the support we receive from the community and from the council."

The block party has grown steadily since its debut. Last year's second annual event, held Sept. 21, 2025, drew residents to the same venue for the same 1-to-4:30 p.m. window and added tethered hot air balloon rides from 5 to 7 p.m., with 200 tickets sold at $20 each. Proceeds from the balloon rides went to Shiv's Third Eye in memory of Livingston resident Shiv Kulkarni.

Youth Appreciation Week, organized by the township's Recreation & Senior Services department, typically closes with a Family Festival at the Oval. The Livingston Fire Department, which responded to 21 general fire alarms and 1,208 other emergency calls in 2025, will fold its annual open house into the same afternoon.

The Livingston First Aid Squad is also tagged as a participating agency in the announcement, though specific activities for the 2026 event have not yet been released.

Residents can check the Livingston Police Department's community policing page or contact the department directly for updates on the activity lineup.