For generations, PBS has invited children into neighborhoods where community is something people practice. In Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Fred Rogers made care, curiosity and respect feel like everyday responsibilities. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood carries that idea forward for a new generation, giving young children practical ways to name their feelings, help others and navigate the world around them.
At Vegas PBS, that lesson moves off the screen and into Southern Nevada each year at Be My Neighbor Day. The free outdoor event returns Saturday, October 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Lawn at Downtown Summerlin, bringing families, local organizations and community partners together around a simple question: What does it mean to be a good neighbor?
The answer is found in small, concrete acts. At the 2025 event, children decorated 500 “Thinking of You” cards, while families donated pet food and supplies to local charity partner Street Dogz. More than 80 community partners offered family-friendly activities, and Vegas PBS distributed 2,000 Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood puppet fans. An interactive scavenger hunt encouraged families to move through the event completing missions centered on kindness and caring for others.
Those activities turn an abstract idea like “community” into something children can see and do. A city is more than the streets, schools, parks and businesses that share a ZIP code. It becomes a community when people participate in it: when families meet the organizations serving their neighborhoods, when children make something for a stranger who could use encouragement or when someone brings a donation that helps a local nonprofit care for people or animals in need.
That sense of participation is especially meaningful for children. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood models age-appropriate social-emotional strategies and practical life skills, but Be My Neighbor Day gives families a chance to put those lessons into action together. Meeting community organizations, giving to a local cause and taking part in acts of kindness can help children understand that they have a role in the place where they live — even before they are old enough to vote, drive, or hold a job.
Be My Neighbor Day is made possible by sponsors like PNC, whose contributions set the bar for community engagement in Southern Nevada.
“PNC’s commitment to early childhood education spans more than 20 years,” says Denette Suddeth, PNC Bank regional president for Nevada. “Here in Nevada, we are proud to invest in our children and continue supporting Be My Neighbor Day with our PNC Grow Up Great® programming. Our employee volunteers are looking forward to the fun.”
Being part of a city does not require knowing everyone in it. It begins with recognizing that the people around us are connected by shared places and shared responsibilities. Be My Neighbor Daycreates a temporary neighborhood where those connections are easy to see: families gather, community organizations introduce themselves, children practice kindness and familiar PBS KIDS characters make the experience feel welcoming.
Mister Rogers’ famous invitation, “Won’t you be my neighbor?” was never only about living next door. It was an invitation to pay attention to other people. In a fast-growing and diverse community like Southern Nevada, that idea still matters. A stronger city is built when residents choose to participate, learn about one another and make room for acts of care. Sometimes, becoming part of a community starts with something as simple as showing up.
