If there is one thing that tough economic times cannot stop, it is tradition. 

After a five year hiatus, the awe-inspiring Fourth of July fireworks show will once again be welcomed at California State University, Stanislaus—thanks to a collaborative partnership between the Turlock Chamber of Commerce and the university.

“We’re really excited to partner with the university because it’s such a wonderful venue,” said Sharon Silva, president and CEO of the Chamber. “It’s great to bring the event back to campus, where it started decades ago.”

Although many of the event’s details are still in the works, Silva encourages the community to expect a children’s area that will include bounce houses and face paintings provided by the city, as well as a variety of music, food and craft vendors.

However, all of these activities will merely prepare guests for the fireworks show, the grand finale that will conclude the holiday event.

CSU Stanislaus President Joseph F. Sheley is not only excited to welcome back the longstanding fireworks show to campus, but to continue building an enduring relationship between the university and its community.

“We’re very happy to be partnering with the Chamber to bring this tradition back to campus,” Sheley said. “We’ll be celebrating our nation’s history while at the same time providing the community a great place to have fun. In the past we’ve referred to ourselves as a hidden gem. With this event and others like it, I think you can get rid of ‘hidden.’ In still challenging budget times, we are committed to showing the community that this is their university.”

After running the celebration for 24 years, the university announced back in 2009 that it would no longer be able to host the annual fireworks show—which cost an approximate $50,000 to produce—due to lack of funding and sponsors.

Upon hearing news of the fireworks’ discontinuation, Silva stepped in to continue doing the annual show at a different venue—the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds.

“I felt that it was something that had been a tradition in Turlock for many years,” said Silva. “So when the university originally made the decision to no longer continue doing the fireworks, I wanted to make sure that the fireworks continued.”

Although the fireworks are moving back to their original venue at the university this year, Silva still emanates gratitude for the fairgrounds, which made sure the tradition continued in difficult economic times.

“We are just so grateful for the fairgrounds and how they worked with us to make sure the fireworks continued in our community,” said Silva. “If they hadn’t stepped forward, we would not have been able to have a fireworks show in Turlock for the last five years.”

The Fourth of July celebration will kick off at 4 p.m. at CSU Stanislaus. The event will be free of charge and the university will provide parking at no cost.