FRACKVILLE - Elijah Welch, 16, of Shenandoah, tested his diving skills again and again at Frackville Community Pool early Saturday evening.
"This is my first time here," Welch said after emerging from the deep end of the pool at Spring and Hickory streets.
When asked why, he was plain honest: "Tonight, it's free."
More than 100 people came out to the Frackville Recreation Board's third annual Free Swim Pool Party at the borough's pool, according to board members Judy Ragazinsky, Arlene Noyalis and Elaine Mykolayko.
"The pool usually closes at 7. We keep it open for an extra hour and a half and pay for the lifeguards, the staff in the concession stand and the DJ," Ragazinsky said.
Chris Polm, also known as DJ 1:01, Pottsville, cranked out tunes by request, which included modern tunes like "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea and classics like 1984's "Oh Sherrie" by Journey.
Borough Councilwoman Karen Domalakes, who chairs the borough's Recreation Committee, was also at the pool party Saturday night.
Before the pool opened on June 14, the borough had to repair a crack in it and do routine maintenance, which cost in the neighborhood of $600, Domalakes said.
In April, the borough council increased the admission rates from $3 per person to $5 per person because of inflation, Domalakes said.
The pool rates, according to the borough's website, are: daily, $5; single resident annual, $65; single nonresident annual, $75; couple resident annual, $110; couple nonresident annual, $120; family resident annual, $150; and family nonresident annual, $160.
"I've been coming here all my life. When I was a kid, it was 50 cents to get in," Dave Tutko, 50, of Frackville, said.
He was there with his grandchildren, Hunter Russell, 1, and Hailey Dura, 5, of Frackville, and their cousin, Lauren Boyer, 5, of Tamaqua.
"It's well maintained, and the concession stand has a selection of food if they get hungry," Tutko said.