BIDDEFORD — A fun event for families and kiddos alike will take place Sunday in Biddeford. The 11th annual Bacon Street Festival, part of the city’s National Night Out campaign, is a free event that features, games, music, food and more.

The festival will take place at  39 Sullivan St. in St. Andre’s senior housing parking lot in the Bacon Street neighborhood. It is cosponsored by the city of Biddeford, Heart of Biddeford, Saco and Biddeford Savings Institution, the Biddeford + Saco Chamber of Commerce + Industry and the Biddeford Housing Authority.

The Bacon Street Festival began 11 years ago, which was about the time the city began efforts to make the Bacon Stree neighborhood a more family-friendly community in which to live.

This year, activities include live music performed by the Ketch Fish Band and BillyBilly, a petting zoo, pony rides, games, food, a visit by the Furries, a Rock Climbing Wall, pedal car races, a bouncy house and water slide and more activities for all ages. The festival will also feature the recently-rehabilitated former rectory building at 73 Bacon St. as an example of the positive transformation that has taken place in the neighborhood. Prizes and treats will be available for all children, and no pre-registration is required to participate in the activities. The city’s Police, Fire, Recreation and Public Works departments will also participate.

“The Bacon Street Festival is a grassroots event that couldn’t take place without the participation of dedicated community volunteers,” said Community Development Coordinator Linda Waters. “We’re very excited to host another fantastic event this year that showcases the importance of working together as a neighborhood to revitalize the place you live.”

The festival is part of the city’s  National Night Out campaign, which an initiative sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch. The campaign allows cities and towns across the United States to implement activities that promote safe neighborhoods, crime, drug and violence prevention, and police-community partnerships.

Biddeford has received awards in eight of the past 10 years for its participation in National Night Out and its revitalization efforts in the Bacon Street neighborhood. Over 15,000 communities across the U.S. compete for recognition for its National Night Out efforts. To date, Biddeford  has been the only community in Maine to achieve this distinction.

For more information on the festival and a schedule of events and sponsors list, visit www.biddefordmaine.org, or contact Linda Waters by email at lwaters@biddefordmaine.org or phone at 284-9105. There is no rain date and activities will be held rain or shine.