EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) – It was a busy week on Evansville's West Side for the annual West Side Nut Club Fall Festival, especially for local law enforcement.

While the Fall Festival is full of food, fun and entertainment, it is also full of law enforcement personnel working to ensure the safety of those attending the annual event.

The Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office said that while they are at the Fall Festival to help the Evansville Police Department, they are also there as a resource and to build relationships with the community.

“It’s definitely a community-building experience. All of the people working in the tent, especially from the (Vanderburgh County) Sheriff's Office, really enjoyed it. It's a chance to meet a lot of people in a nice way and make new friends,” said Lt. Matt Quick.

Evansville Police have secured West Franklin Street all week in case anything happens.

One of the security measures EPD has taken is to have officers patrol the streets, from the ground to the roofs of the buildings along West Franklin Street.

“We're really trying to make sure we have eyes everywhere we can,” said Officer Taylor Merriss, special projects coordinator for EPD.

“The Fall Festival really is all hands on deck, as it should be. It’s a very big street party and we want to make sure people can enjoy it and feel safe doing it.”

To make this security method more family-friendly, the local authorities decided to send a few superheroes to the roof of the Gerst Bavarian House to monitor the fall festival there.

“Sometimes when children or adults see police officers on rooftops, it can be intimidating and scary not knowing why they are there. That’s why we want the superheroes to come out because it gives you a little bit of peace knowing that there are superheroes looking out for you too,” Merriss said.

The Dark Knight traveled from Gotham City to make a surprise appearance, and he wasn't alone.

Along with Batman was the rest of the Justice League, including Superman, Wonder-Woman, Aquaman and Flash.

Even some parents agree that the heavy law enforcement presence this week, along with the Justice League's help, has given them and their families a sense of security.

Emily Brandenstein, a fall festival attendee and mother, said she really thinks EPD incorporated this into the fall festival to calm people's possible jitters while making it more festive.

“I would be more scared if they weren't up there, so I definitely enjoy them being up there and at the same time making it more fun for the kids,” Brandenstein said.

The fall festival will conclude on Saturday.

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