If you are looking for something to take your children to that is both fun and educational, the annual Community Safety Day event on Saturday at Mauch Chunk Lake Park in Jim Thorpe is the place for you.

County and state officials are finalizing plans for the annual event. It is hosted by state Sen. John T. Yudichak, the Carbon County commissioners, St. Luke’s University Health Network Kid Zone, the Nolan Ritchie Stay Afloat Foundation and Carbon Masonic Lodge 242.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine, on the grounds of Mauch Chunk Lake Park, and is free and open to all Carbon County families.

Community Safety Day is an event that promotes safety for everything from riding a bicycle, roller blading to boating.

Mindy Graver of Kid Zone, one of the main organizers of the event, said that there will be something for everyone that day, including two medical helicopters, the dental van, a smokehouse, fire companies and more.

More than two dozen agencies and organizations will be set up throughout the park to educate children and their parents about various safety issues, including water safety, animal safety, fire safety, bicycle safety, poison control, highway safety, boating and more.

New this year will be the addition of Lehigh Valley Health Network, the DUI Memorial and Systems of Care through Mental Health/Developmental Services.

The always popular coconut crusher, which teaches the importance of helmet safety, will also take place every half-hour throughout the day with free helmet fittings to follow the demonstrations.

There will be car seat giveaways by Kid Zone and the Pennsylvania State Police and bicycles donated by the Jim Thorpers and the Masons will be chanced off at the end of the event.

Food and light refreshments will also be available for free to families.

In addition, an opening ceremony to kick off the event will take place at 10:15 a.m.

Last year, more than 1,000 people attended the four-hour event.

Volunteer groups are also welcome to put in service hours.

For more information on volunteer opportunities, call Graver at 570-325-2788 or email mjg26@psu.edu.

The Carbon County Community Safety Day grew into what it is today through a joint collaboration between the Masonic Lodge, Carbon County Commissioners and the former Carbon County Safe Kids, now Kid Zone.

The event was previously known as the Carbon County Fun-N-Safety Fair and held on Fifth Street in Jim Thorpe, but after a number of successful years, the event outgrew the location.

In 2013, Yudichak partnered with the groups, and the event was moved to its current location at the lake.

Since 2013, the Community Safety Day has grown in size and popularity with families and is made possible through business donations and dozens of volunteers.