Dozens of large trucks, excavators, towing vehicles, emergency response vehicles and various types of heavy machinery will be on hand for kids and their families to explore during Falls Township’s annual Touch a Truck event on Sept. 18.

 Spearheaded by Falls Township Supervisor Jeff Boraski and the township’s Parks and Recreation department, the five-hour event offers a unique opportunity for children to learn more about how the various vehicles on display serve as first response, construction, farming, manufacturing and more.  

 The free family-friendly event also features giveaways, bounce houses, face painting, a balloon artist, face painter, DJ, and food available for purchase from Levittown #1 Fire Department. Kids can meet Ironman and Elsa from Frozen from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

 The first hour of Touch a Truck (from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.) will be a sensory-friendly quiet hour for community members with special needs. Truck operators will refrain from flashing their lights or blowing their air horns during this time. 

Proceeds from the Touch a Truck fundraising event will benefit Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, as well as The Barkann Family Healing Hearts Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides financial aid to families throughout the Delaware Valley who are in need due to recent tragedy or adversity. Michael Barkann, host of NBC Sports Philadelphia, began the Foundation in 2013.  Barkann will make a special appearance at the Touch a Truck event, attending from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. At noon he will choose a raffle ticket winner for the pair of lower-level tickets to the Eagles-Chiefs game on Oct. 3. To learn more or buy raffle tickets, click here.

Touch a Truck will feature police, fire, and public works vehicles, as well as a school bus and Falls Township mowers and trucks. Event sponsors who will be bringing additional trucks and machinery include, Trash Daddy, KPK Development, B. Blair Corp, Waste Management, Britton Industries, Armour and Sons, Marrazzo’s Manor Lane, CDU Stormwater & Management Systems, Local 542, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 269, CLC Contractors, Meenan Oil & Propane, Riley Electric, Carr & Duff, and Premium Excavating. Additional sponsors include, Rudolph Clarke, LLC, Jones Engineering Associates, M Entertainment, John Alexanian Photography Productions, Vizi, Bayard Pump and Tank Company, Inspire Federal Credit Union, and Marie’s Kozy Korner.

Falls Township’s annual Family Festival will follow the Touch a Truck event, running from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 18. The festival will feature food trucks, costumed characters, a strolling magician, a caricature artist, a balloon artist, bounce house and face painter. The Family Festival will culminate with fireworks. Community sponsors – Rudolph Clarke, LLC, Vaughan Insurance, Ray Litwin Air Conditioning and Heating, and First National Bank – help to cover the costs associated with running this free family event.

Hand sanitation stations will be available throughout the event area.

About the events 

Falls Township’s Touch a Truck event will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Falls Township Community Park, 9050 Mill Creek Road, Levittown. The event is free, open to the public and offers children the chance to explore and climb on a variety of trucks and heavy machinery. The first hour is sensory friendly and geared for community members with special needs. All proceeds benefit Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and The Barkann Family Healing Hearts Foundation. Raffle tickets for an Oct. 3 Eagles-Chiefs football game will also be sold at the event and benefit the nonprofit organization. For more information on sponsoring the event, email Parks and Recreation Director Brian Andrews at b.andrews@fallstwp.com. To learn more about the Foundation visit https://thebarkannfoundation.org. Falls Township’s Family Festival will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 18, also at Falls Township Community Park. In the event of inclement weather, both events will be held at the same time and location on Sept. 25.