 It was a festive atmosphere in downtown Bemidji this afternoon as community members came together for an old-fashioned street carnival. Giant bounce houses, games, and of course, plenty of food filled a portion of America Avenue this afternoon. The street carnival was put on by Bemidji Downtown Meets as a summer wrap-up party for their Battle of the Brots. It was also a chance for the business to give back and to raise funds for the SHIELD 616 program. We couldn't be here if it wasn't for the community and that's why we wanted to give back. We just wanted to have a fun time and this was our way to decide we could do it. The kids can enjoy it and we're having a blast doing it for the community. A new tradition was also started through a hot dog eating contest between the Bemidji Police Department and the Bemidji Fire Department. Now the Bemidji Fire Department won by eating four-and-a-half brought-sized foot-long hot dogs. The fire department says they are thrilled about winning the competition and proud to take home the large trophy. It feels pretty good to bring a trophy home to the fire station. It goes along with our dragon boat trophy that we won a few weeks ago. They're starting to stack up over there. It has a little bit of challenge to the law enforcement. I know those guys trust me they can eat a lot. If you are not able to attend the street carnival and would still like to contribute to Shield 616 program you can visit their website online at shield616.org. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.