SOUTH POINT — It may have been sweltering hot, but crowds turned out on Saturday for the celebration of the Independence Day weekend in the Village of South Point.

The annual Party in the Park festival took place near the village’s community center, organized by People for the Point.

The event featured food, vendors, games for children and inflatables, as well as a lineup of music, such as Angela Linthicum, who sang Gospel songs in the afternoon.

The day kicked off with a car show and had a pie eating contest, hosted by Maria’s Junk Food Junkies, and a hot dog eating contest, hosted by The Shakery.  

The event also marked the first public appearance in Lawrence County by Olivia Fosson, since she was crowned as Miss Ohio on June 21.

Fosson addressed the crowd from the stage and wished them a happy holiday, and spent the afternoon walking the grounds and meeting with attendees. She was set to appear at the Lawrence County Fair’s opening ceremony the following day.

The event concluded with a fireworks display over the Ohio River, an annual joint project between South Point and the cities of Kenova, West Virginia and Catlettsburg, Kentucky, as well as the Boyd County Circuit Court in Kentucky.