Wiley, Liam, and Lilian Harris of Kingstowne Jacqueline Friedman/Gazette Packet
Alexandria — Passing showers could not keep away the hundreds of eager people searching Chinquapin Park for long lost loves and new found interests in every day city vehicles.
The inaugural event on Saturday, July 18 hosted seven departments including the fire department and Alexandria County Public Schools.
Families and individuals could interact with the staff, learning about the vehicles themselves and the jobs the departments performed. Some got to witness fire department personnel in action.
“We are actually working, so if we get a call, we have to go,” said Jeremy Lenzer of the Alexandria Fire Department. “We actually had a kid fall out the back of a bus. We walked over there and took a look at him and offered him transportation.”
He added: “We are here for you 24/7.”
Operational demonstrations were often performed: trash trucks would show how the trash was crushed and compacted, while excavators would lift and twirl around metal for onlookers.
“Every single vehicle had a kid either in the driver’s seat honking a horn or in the back looking at their equipment or talking to the driver,” said event coordinator Lindsay Burneson. “Everybody had a huge smile on their face.”
Children took a liking to the vehicles' horns, which could be heard blaring throughout the park. Some would look back at the source of the sound only to find a giggling toddler at the controls.
When it comes to popularity, school buses should not be ruled out as a favorite, said Brad Bober, bus maintenance shop worker for ACPS.
“We are pretty close up there with the fire engine, maybe not quite as popular, but pretty close,” said Bober. “Most of the ones who are interested are those who have not had the opportunity to ride a school bus yet.”
Fun was not limited to the children; adults could be seen wearing construction and firefighter hard hats. It was a reminder of childhood for many as well as an appreciation for what the departments do.
“It is a lot of fun just to see these trucks and get up close to them,” said Alexandria resident Michael Donaldson.
It is not an easy task to have this event, but the success of this year makes an annual event possible, said Burneson. “There is a lot of preparation that goes into the event and you kind of lose for a second the larger scale sometimes. Once I had a chance to get back out I was like oh yeah, this is what we are here for: all the smiles.”