Contestants tackle the watermelon eating contest in 2019. (Joe Viechnicki/KFSK)

Petersburg’s Independence Day celebration kicks off Friday evening with online interactive games organized by the Lighthouse Assembly of God Church and Petersburg Parks and Recreation.

Those games run from 5-7 p.m. and people can participate at home and send in their results. It’s a jam packed two hours of online games broadcast on Facebook and on the radio at 88.5, including favorites like the water balloon toss, hot dog eating and pie eating contests. Joe Viechnicki spoke with Lighthouse church pastor Nathan Lopez about how it will work.

That’s Friday night from 5-7 p.m. Again you can participate or tune in online on the Facebook page for Petersburg Parks and Recreation or tune in on the radio at 88.5 FM. There’s a list of items needed to participate in the games on that Parks and Rec Facebook page.

Fireworks are Friday evening at 11 p.m. On Saturday July 4 a running race starts at 9 a.m. and the parade is at 11 a.m. with line up on the PFI Hill.