MARS — The borough’s annual Fourth of July celebration will feature a parade, activities for children and fireworks.

Events in downtown near the flying saucer will begin at 3 p.m. with food, drinks, face-painting, crafts for children and live music.

The parade will start at 5 p.m. It begins with a pet parade, and a bike parade and children interested in participating do not need to sign up in advance, but they must lineup at the Mars athletic field on Arch Street.

Vehicles and floats for the parade will line up on Pine Avenue and Oakland Street.

For spectators, the parade route will go down Beaver Street, Pittsburgh Street and Grand Avenue.

The parade is expected to last 45 minutes to an hour, said Jen Fleming, who has been organizing the event for eight years.

Starting at dark, there will be fireworks with accompanying music. Most people gather to watch the display behind the Mars National Bank.

“It’s a nice day for the surrounding communities. It’s somewhere they come, and the kids can play some games and have some fun,” Fleming said.

The event is sponsored by the borough, but much of the cost of the fireworks display is covered by donations from residents and businesses, Fleming said.