MOUNT JEWETT – It will be an exciting day full of fun, food and family-friendly activities during the third annual Mount Jewett Family Fun Day to be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Mount Jewett Community Park.

This free event, hosted by Mount Jewett Hilltop Heritage Coalition, offers residents and visitors a chance to relax, reconnect and enjoy the spirit of a small-town summer. Families are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs and coolers and an appetite for good food and good company.

From classic yard games like frisbee and golf to friendly rounds of softball, the afternoon will be packed with wholesome pastimes that everyone can enjoy.

“The idea was to have an event where everything was free to families,” said Kelley Hughes, coalition member. “It seems like a lot of the time, people have to pay to attend events and that can become expensive when a family has three or four kids.”

That spirit of generosity has been at the heart of Hilltop Heritage Coalition’s mission all summer long. For the last six weeks, the group has hosted a free summer lunch program, ensuring that local kids have access to nutritional meals throughout the break.

During Family Fun Day, they will host a free barbecue complete with hot dogs, chips and drinks. Locals are also encouraged to bring a dish to share. The delectable delicacies can be dropped off at the main entrance.

“This is a great opportunity for all of us to come together as a community,” said Hughes. “Although most of the people we get are from Mount Jewett, anybody is welcome.”

Last year’s event drew around 350 people and organizers are hoping for even more this time around — weather permitting.

“We hope we get even more people this year but it is very dependent on the weather,” said Hughes. “If we have nicer weather where it isn’t raining but it isn’t too hot then we should get a pretty good turnout.”

To help beat the summer heat, members of the Mount Jewett Volunteer Fire Department will be on site with fire hoses ready to spray down kids.

“These kids just love to see the fire trucks and get sprayed,” said Hughes. “Between that and the 16-foot inflatable water slide things should be pretty exciting for the little ones.”

For Hughes, the real joy comes from watching the community come together for laughter, lunch and lasting memories.

“I just like seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces,” said Hughes. “Events like these help remind us of just what makes our community special.”