SUNDERLAND — The public is invited to join numerous public safety agencies from up and down the Pioneer Valley on Saturday for the second Fall Public Safety Festival.

Organized by the Massachusetts State Police in partnership with local agencies, the festival is bringing more than 50 public safety agencies to town on Saturday to meet the community, put on demonstrations and share resources from first responders. The biyearly event will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Sunderland Elementary School, 1 Swampfield Drive, and will also feature food trucks, kids’ activities, a Halloween costume contest and other festivities.

The event was first held in 2021, where it began as a car seat checking event between the State Police and Sunderland Police Department that eventually grew into a large community event that saw more than 1,000 people come to town throughout the day, according to Sunderland Fire Department Lt. Matt Morin.

“It kind of grew into this big event by accident really, but now it’s developed into this formalized public safety fair,” he said. “We had no idea what to expect or who was going to show up when we planned this first one … it ended up being about 1,200 to 1,500 people.”

Fire, police and ambulance departments from numerous Franklin and Hampshire county towns will be on hand, alongside the State Police, a LifeStar helicopter, the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, Clinical & Support Options, the American Red Cross, the National Guard, critical care nursing units and several other community agencies.

Morin said the fair will include police K9s and comfort dogs, a car crash simulation and fire extinguisher training, among other demonstrations.

With the festival taking place the weekend before Halloween, Morin said there also will be an opportunity for some trunk-or-treating for kids, along with a best costume contest. Face painting and live music also will be on hand.

Beyond sharing resources and a family-friendly weekend event, Morin said it’s a chance for people to meet first responders and become a little more familiar with someone who may arrive at the scene of an emergency.

“Oftentimes, we don’t get to see people unless it’s an emergency … It allows us to meet community members and allows them to meet us,” Morin said. “That way, if we do get calls … it’s a familiar face, it’s neighbors serving neighbors.”

While all of these agencies are coming to Sunderland, Morin emphasized this is a regionwide event and all are welcome.

“This is a not a Sunderland event; this is a Franklin and Hampshire counties event,” he said. “This is for everyone.”

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.