The City of Alice and the Alice Natatorium are bringing back a community-wide Fourth of July celebration for the first time in at least 10 years.The two-day event, Freedom Fest, will be held on the natatorium grounds on Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4, from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. each day. Admission to the celebration is free, though access to the water park and pool is not included.The event comes as the nation marks its 250th birthday.Families can expect free, family-friendly activities, food, live entertainment, and a car show. A fireworks show is scheduled for 10:15 p.m. Saturday night.Natatorium regulars Julianna Flores and Margarita Smith, who attend the facility several times a week and lead the water Zumba class, said they are thrilled about the celebration and see it as a chance to bring the community together."Very excited. This is the first time they're gonna have a big celebration here at the natatorium, and we're very excited," Flores said."We're supporting our community. That's really important. Everybody can enjoy families, friends, outings, camaraderie and fellowship," Flores said.Smith echoed that enthusiasm."It's great for all the people here in Alice. You know, they need to come and enjoy everything," Smith said. For organizers, the fireworks show is a key draw."The fireworks that's the carrot. And so bringing them in, I'm really excited about the firework show. It might not be a long one like some other places, but it's gonna be good," manager Vincent Marquez said.Organizers hope this year's event will reestablish a tradition that families can enjoy for years to come. For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today! ...read more read less