BIDDEFORD — For 11 years, the city of Biddeford, partnering with local businesses and organizations, has put on a festival for all in the Bacon Street area as a way to highlight the progress that has been made in cleaning up the neighborhood. The 12th Annual Family Fun Festival, a free event for all community members, will once again take place, rain or shine on  Sunday,  Aug. 4, from noon to 4 p.m. The event, formerly known as the Bacon Street Festival, is chalk full of family-friendly activities and entertainment. It will be held at 39 Sullivan St. in the St. Andre’s Senior Housing parking lot.

The annual festival highlights the efforts made over the past several years to make the Bacon Street and surrounding neighborhood an even more family-friendly community to live in.

“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.”

This year’s activities include a petting zoo, pony rides, games, food, face painting, a rock climbing wall, pedal car races, a bouncy house and water slide, and more activities for all ages. Attendees can enjoy entertainment from a magician and live music from the Ketch Fish Band throughout the event. The city’s police and fire departments are also joining in the festivities.

The festival is offered as part of the National Night Out campaign. This initiative is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch, provides a unique opportunity for 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 each year since 2011 for its participation in National Night Out and its revitalization efforts in the Bacon Street Neighborhood. The City has annually competed with over 15,000 communities across the U.S. for this recognition, and it has been the only community awarded in Maine to date.

The festival is cosponsored by the City of Biddeford, Heart of Biddeford, Saco and Biddeford Savings Institution, the Biddeford + Saco Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Biddeford Housing Authority.

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.