The History of Decatur’s Touch-a-Truck

For more than twenty years, Touch-a-Truck has been one of Decatur’s favorite family traditions. Every spring, kids climb into fire engines, honk the horns of big trucks, and meet the people who help keep the city running every day.

What started as a simple idea has grown into a beloved community event that brings families together year after year.

Where the Idea Began

The idea for Decatur’s Touch-a-Truck started in 2002, when a City of Decatur staff member attended a Georgia Recreation and Park Association (GRPA) conference and learned about the concept.

The idea was simple but exciting: give kids the chance to get up close to the trucks and equipment they see around town every day.

The following year, Decatur Parks & Recreation brought the idea to life. In 2003, the first Touch-a-Truck event was organized by longtime Parks & Recreation leader Greg White and held at McKoy Park.

From the beginning, the event was about more than trucks. It was about helping residents connect with the people and services that make the city work. Fire engines, dump trucks, police motorcycles, street sweepers, and other equipment were lined up for kids to explore, climb inside, and ask questions.

Greg White once described the event as a way to show residents “what we do as a city.”

Growing and Moving Around Decatur

As word spread and the event became more popular, Touch-a-Truck needed more space.

Over the years, the event has been hosted in several locations around Decatur, including:

• McKoy Park, where the first event was held in 2003
• The Decatur High School parking lot
• The Callaway Building parking lot in downtown Decatur
• The East Lake MARTA Station parking lot, where the event moved in 2010

Each move helped accommodate more vehicles, more families, and more opportunities for kids to explore.

Today, the event has come full circle and is now back at the Decatur High School parking lot, where it has been held for the past two years.

Adding Touch-a-Budget

Several years after the event began, the City added Touch-a-Budget, expanding the day beyond trucks and equipment.

Touch-a-Budget gives residents the opportunity to meet staff from across city departments and learn more about the programs and services funded through the city’s budget. While kids explore the vehicles, adults can stop by booths, ask questions, and learn more about how the city operates.

It’s a great example of Decatur’s commitment to making local government accessible, informative, and family-friendly.

New Activities and Traditions

Like many long-running community events, Touch-a-Truck continues to evolve.

In recent years, the event has added bike safety and education activities, including a Bike Rodeo where kids can practice riding skills through obstacle courses and learn basic bike safety.

The Bike Rodeo helps introduce young riders to safe biking habits while encouraging more families to explore active transportation in Decatur.

A Decatur Tradition

Today, Touch-a-Truck remains a free, family-friendly event that celebrates the vehicles, workers, and services that help keep Decatur moving.

Kids still climb into the driver’s seats of fire engines, check out construction equipment up close, and learn about the trucks they see around town every day.

More than twenty years after it began, Touch-a-Truck continues to do exactly what it was designed to do: bring the community together and connect residents with the people who help make Decatur such a special place to live.