Longview's Fireworks and Freedom brings the city together

LONGVIEW (KYTX) – The Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Center held its third annual Festival and Fireworks Celebration Saturday night.

There were many different type of attractions, such as carnival rides, food trucks, roller derby, slides and fireworks at 9:30 p.m.

This is the first year the car competition was expanded to all cars. Public Information Officer Shawn Hara said this has been a favorite part of the celbration for many people.

“We’ve done a mustang car show,” Hara said. “We’ve done a corvette car show. This year, they said let’s just make it open doors to everybody, All-American car show and truck show too.”

Fifteen-year-old Tyler Wilder said he loves looking at all the different cars.

“The 66 Mustang for sure,” Tyler said. “The GTs. I just enjoy having fun out here. I’m thankful that we get to celebrate out here and be proud of our country.”

Another new part of this year’s celebration was the Xcelerator, which is an 86-foot-long, 46-foot-high water slide. Kids of all ages were riding the slide multiple times. Mayor Andy Mack may not be a kid anymore, but he said he is all about the water slides.

“When I was a kid and lived downtown off of 80, we used to have a slide just like that,” Mack said. “Every day, we’d go and do that slide. Super slides are my thing, I love them. I just want to end up in a pile of water.

This is Mack’s first festival as mayor and he said he appreciates what this day represents for Longview.

“It’s a great event for our community, for the citizens to come out and enjoy the activities,” Mack said. “We all can see the fireworks. We’re trying to do things that make the community better and gives the citizens more to do.”

Longview"s Fireworks and Freedom brings the city together