Sunny weather and blue skies greeted the 12th annual Cops ‘n’ Kids Celebration of Reading…and the Arts and Sciences, held in the parking lot of Northampton Community College’s Southside campus April 28.

The lot was filled with tents and tables staffed with volunteers from 95 community groups, showcasing activities from various disciplines for kids to explore. Indoor venues hosted student performances by a total of 639 students, storytelling and cooking demonstrations.

“[This event is] so important because the kids get exposed to literature, the sciences, drama and the theatre and all of the arts, so with the performances and the big bands coming in, they see what their future has in store for them,” said Susan Stachowski, a Cops ‘n’ Kids volunteer of five years and an employee of Sands Bethlehem.

Most importantly to Cops ’n’ Kids Lehigh Valley President Beverly Bradley, the entirety of the event was cost-free.

“No child is left out of any of our events simply because we owe that to them to give them a dignity in who they are,” Bradley said. “The most important thing to me is that we get to see the children of our community in an environment where they can show off their talents and their skills, but they, in turn, get to work with people that are thoughtful and caring. … We’re celebrating literacy, we’re celebrating them, we’re celebrating all of these people who come together.”