Do you miss events with carnival rides, food trucks, live music, face-painting, and all of the other trappings of large community gatherings?

Lathrop has got you covered.

Tonight from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Mossdale Landing Community Park the Lathrop Parks and Recreation Department will be hosting a Family Fun Night event for the community – bringing back what has traditionally been a popular outdoor gathering for locals and families who enjoy the camaraderie that goes along with having fun with your neighbors.

Admission to the event is free, although there may be a charge for some of the activities being offered.

For Lathrop Parks and Recreation Director Zach Jones, returning to events like these brings up a question that could only be asked following a global pandemic – do people still remember what it was like to come out and enjoy themselves with their neighbors?

While some people may be wary of jumping straight back into large groups – organizers of the event made sure to have enough things there to entertain a large group, but are unsure of how many people will turn out as a result of the changing COVID landscape – Jones said that the decision was made to have it in a spacious location to cater to a variety of different comfort levels and provide something for everybody while still adhering to all of the regulations.

“We are very aware of the challenges of doing something like this and are doing our best to abide by all of the regulations as well,” Jones said. “Having an event in an outdoor area with space – and there is a lot of space at Mossdale Park – gives people the chance to come out and participate, or to come out and throw down a blanket and still be able to take in the event and listen to the music away from the things going on.

“We are trying to get people out to remember what it’s like to be a community – providing the opportunity for them to do so, and the opportunity for people to come out and have fun while still keeping their distance as well.”

While Lathrop has returned to offering some of the popular outdoor events for the community – Movies in the Park, for example, has been a huge success – the struggle up to this point was providing enough spaces for people who wanted to participate while still adhering to the strict guidelines set by public health officials.

With many of those restrictions now relaxed, Jones and his team have been working to maximize safety while at the same time welcoming people back outside to do the kinds of things that at one time seemed completely normal and regular.

Movies in the Park will continue next week on Aug. 13 with Raya and the Last Dragon being shown at the Lathrop Generations Center.

“We did limit the number of people initially because we were still under some pretty heavy requirements for contract tracing – we had people register and we sold out of every one of those,” Jones said. “People understand, and they’re anxious to get out and do something and we’re going to do everything we can to keep people safe at the same time.”

For additional information about recreational offerings in Lathrop, visit the City of Lathrop’s website at www.ci.lathrop.ca.us, or search for “City of Lathrop” on Facebook.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.