Dance, swim, and party at Freedom Fest – an all-out patriotic rave

Almost Nakey invites San Diegans to dust off their powdered wigs and American apparel and head to their fourth annual Freedom Fest, returning to Belmont Park on Saturday, July 6.

From 2 to 10 p.m., half of Belmont Park will be converted into an all-out patriotic rave, carrying on the Fourth of July spirit into the weekend.

The event will be spread out across three stages, each featuring live music from artists like Bauer, Ying Yang Twins, Mr. Carmack, Justin Jay, DJ Susan, and more, with performances and crowd activations by Strawberry Disco Circus.

A mega main stage will be set up outside the Beach House called “Mount Ravemore,” complete with an LED American flag wall and sky decks that will overlook the crowd. Overlooking the entire venue, the “Glizzy Garden” stage will transport event-goers into “a vortex of pure freedom” and pure American joy for hotdogs.

The last stage, the “Sovereign Sea,” will sail into brand new territory for Freedom Fest.

“We had to go where no Fourth of July party has gone before,” said Liv Johnson, CEO of Almost Nakey.

Almost Nakey will be converting Belmont Park’s historic swimming pool, the Plunge, into a raver’s paradise. A third of the pool will be transformed into a stage that will feature live music, another third will be dedicated to LED swimming, and the last portion will be overtaken by a 60-foot inflatable eagle.

“This is special because the plunge is celebrating its 99th birthday and the stage is the first of its kind,” said Johnson. “I just felt in my heart we needed swimming for a Fourth of July party.”

This year’s attendees are encouraged to dress like the Founding Fathers or don a red, white, and blue-inspired outfit. There will be bars set up throughout the fest, featuring collaborations with TRYBE Spirit, Long Drink, and Remix.

Before the event, people can sign up to compete in a bracketed beer pong tournament via the Almost Nakey Instagram.

Originally founded as a bikini company during her sophomore year of high school, Johnson has expanded Almost Nakey into its brand over 13 years – holding events like Freedom Fest and SantaCon.

The idea behind the patriotic rave was to unite San Diegans for a day of celebrating freedom and their city.

“We have veterans who have fought for us; we’re in a military town,” said Johnson. “We don’t stop to celebrate the fact that we’re free to be on this beach and throw parties like this and drink and dance. These events to me are the beauty of our community.”

FREEDOM FEST

When: 2-10 p.m. Saturday, July 6.

Where: Belmont Park, Mission Beach.

Tickets: These can be purchased on the Almost Nakey website, https://almostnakey.com/. A percentage of ticket sales will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Foundation, supporting San Diego’s veterans.

Top photo courtesy of Natalie Goldstein