Laurel expands Safe Summer Nights with teen kickoff event
Laurel is pairing a July 11 teen kickoff with a citywide summer curfew, testing whether Safe Summer Nights is more than feel-good programming.
Laurel is inviting city residents ages 13 to 17 to the Craig A. Moe Laurel Multiservice Center Gymnasium and Parking Lot at 204 Fort Meade Road from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on July 11 for its Safe Summer Nights teen kickoff. The event is free for Laurel residents in that age group, and non-residents may attend if they RSVP.
The evening will mix games, music and DJs, food trucks, basketball, interactive activities and other teen-focused resources. Mayor Keith R. Sydnor said, “Safe Summer Nights is about creating experiences that are fun, welcoming, and safe for every teen,” and added that the program is meant to give young people places to build friendships, enjoy positive activities and “simply be kids.”
The kickoff is the newest piece of a program Laurel established in 2022, when Sydnor was a councilmember and launched Safe Summer Nights for young boys. It later expanded to include both boys and girls, and Laurel launched the effort on July 13, 2024, at the Laurel Armory Anderson & Murphy Community Center for youth ages 12 to 16. A June 5, 2024, city notice also encouraged volunteer organizations to step forward and host the program.
On June 11, 2026, Sydnor issued Executive Order 2026-05 establishing a temporary citywide curfew for people under 18 from June 18 through September 8, with a 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. restriction seven days a week. A similar order in 2025 covered juveniles under 17 from July 11 through August 31, with an 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. curfew.
Sydnor said the program was aimed at the hours between 6 and 10 p.m., when kids can get into trouble.
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