The Annual Biloxi Community Festival Against Crime returns to Point Cadet Plaza on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., bringing a free afternoon of live music, games, demonstrations, and — perhaps most importantly — a chance for residents to shake hands with the men and women who protect their city. Hosted by the City of Biloxi alongside the Biloxi Police and Fire Departments, the festival is built around a simple promise: that the best way to build a safer community is to know the people who keep it safe.
For a few hours on a September Saturday, the waterfront plaza at 121 Cadet St. becomes a kind of open house for public safety. Families can wander among displays of the city's emergency-response equipment, watch K9 demonstrations, and meet officers and firefighters face to face — not in the tense, hurried moments of an emergency, but in a relaxed setting with free food, free drinks, and free parking. The event's recurring theme, promoted as "How to Say NO to Crime!," frames the day as both entertainment and education, a chance to pick up home- and personal-safety tips while the kids enjoy games and activities.
That philosophy has been echoed by department leaders in recent years. "We want our citizens to know our police officers and see what services we provide," said Biloxi Police Captain Joey Payne ahead of the 2025 edition. "We want everyone to come out, relax and have a good time."
The lineup of first responders is a showcase of the department's specialized units. Over the years, the festival has featured the Biloxi Police Department's dive and rescue team, bomb squad, and the traffic and bicycle divisions, along with K9 demonstrations. Members of the Biloxi Fire Department bring emergency vehicles and equipment, and free food and drinks are served up alongside the displays.
The 2026 edition continues that tradition. Organizers are inviting vendors to take part in the popular event, which draws hundreds of visitors each year and offers a prime opportunity to showcase goods and services. There is no charge to register; applications were due by Aug. 31, with the Biloxi Police Department's Lt. Candace Young helping to coordinate. The festival's official materials carry a blunt motto — "Biloxi has zero tolerance for crime of any kind" — but the day itself is anything but stern. It is, at heart, a neighborhood party, a chance for the city's public safety agencies to step out from behind the badge and connect with the people they serve.
For a coastal city that has weathered hurricanes, economic shifts, and the constant challenge of keeping a growing community safe, the festival is more than a feel-good afternoon. It is a deliberate act of relationship-building, an investment in the trust that makes neighborhoods safer and residents more willing to work alongside the officers and firefighters who answer when they call. On Sept. 12, the breezes off the Biloxi Bay will carry the sound of music and laughter across Point Cadet Plaza, and the people who protect the city will be right there in the middle of it — handing out food, answering questions, and reminding everyone that public safety is a partnership, not a one-way street.
The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Point Cadet Plaza, 121 Cadet St., with free food, drinks, and parking for all who attend.