Tuesday should be a good time on both sides of the Androscoggin River.

In Lewiston and Auburn, police will be inviting residents out for the yearly National Night Out.

In Lewiston, the event will be held in Marcotte Park starting at 5:30 p.m.

Highlights of this year’s event will include free food, music, games, arts and crafts, Mr. Drew and the Animals Too, and Pelletier Karate demonstrations.

Nonprofit groups from the community will have displays, including L/A Arts, Safe Voices, Sexual Assault Crisis Center, Neighborhood Housing League, Sister of Charity Health Systems, Headstart, New Beginnings, 911 Center, United Ambulance and Advocates For Children.

The Lewiston Fire and Public Works Departments will have equipment on display.

“National Night Out has proven to be an effective and enjoyable program that promotes neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships,” Lewiston police Chief Michael Bussiere said. “As neighbors meet neighbors, our community benefits not only for the one evening, but the program provides an opportunity to develop positive relationships that last all year long.”

In Auburn, the night out will get under way at 5:30 p.m. in Festival Plaza on Main Street.

“The APD knows how to throw a community block party and this year’s NNO will be no exception,” police officials wrote in a press release. “Department staff and volunteers will serve up hot dogs, popcorn, lemonade and plenty of family style fun.”

There will be demonstrations from the canine, bike, motorcycle and dive teams as well as from the Auburn Fire Department. Other highlights will include face painting, hula-hoop and jump-rope contests, a bounce house and an inflatable obstacle course and laser tag arena.

Volunteers will provide child ID kits, balloons and giveaways. Live music will be performed by the band Five Face North.

“Every day our officers work to ensure the safety of the people who live, work and play here,” police Chief Phil Crowell said. “But it takes the entire community to push back the darkness of crime. National Night Out is a great way to build on our police-community partnership.”

Each year at National Night Out in Auburn, the Police Department announces a “Project 365” — an area or project upon which officers and staff will spend the next year focusing in an effort to improve the community.

Past projects have included an initiative to clean up Auburn’s Bonney Park, the development of a countywide Community Emergency Response Team and last year’s project, the launch of the Auburn Police Activities League and PAL Center on Chestnut Street.

The focus of this year’s Project 365 will be on the prevention of distracted driving. To help launch this local campaign, representatives of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration will be on hand with a crash simulator and a “seat belt convincer.” Additional activities designed to discourage distracted driving are planned.

 Within the United States, National Night Out has been in existence since 1984 and has grown to involve more than 34 million people from more than 10,000 communities representing all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide.