Old-fashioned fun for the Fourth Old-fashioned fun for the Fourth (June 29, 2005)

By Jane Knoerle

Almanac Lifestyles Editor

The Fourth of July falls on a Monday this year, making for a three-day weekend of parades, carnival rides and games, rodeos, concerts, back-yard barbecues, and fireworks.

Local towns are already gearing up for the festive weekend. All events will be held on Monday, July 4, unless otherwise noted.
Menlo Park parade, festival

Menlo Park sponsors a community parade, food, music and activities for all ages to celebrate the Fourth of July.

The parade of bikes, tricycles, wagons and floats begins at 11:30 a.m. at the corner of Santa Cruz Avenue and Chestnut Street in downtown Menlo Park. The assembly point is the Wells Fargo parking lot. The parade proceeds down Santa Cruz Avenue to Burgess Park, where there will be a community festival.

Entertainment at the park starts with the Fred McCarty & Co. band performing at noon. There will be carnival games, face painting, "bounce" houses, contests, and a variety of food and beverages. For more information, call 330-2200 or visit www.menlopark.org.
Little League game

Hengehold, the Alpine/West Menlo Little League's Majors champion, will face its counterpart from the Menlo-Atherton league, Lutticken's, in the traditional July Fourth championship game at Burgess Park in the Menlo Park Civic Center. The game is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. at the Tom Harrison Little League Field.
Woodside Junior Rodeo

The annual Junior NorCal Rodeo, sponsored by the Mounted Patrol of San Mateo County, will be held on Monday at the Mounted Patrol Grounds, 521 Kings Mountain Road in Woodside.

Cowboys and cowgirls under age 18 will battle it out in a variety of activities, including bull riding, barrel racing, calf-roping and team penning.

The grounds open at 8 a.m. with main events starting at noon. The petting zoo, sponsored by Bill and Jean Lane, will be open all day. Admission is $12 for adults; $6 for children ages 6 to 18; and free for age 5 and under.

The Mounted Patrol will also hold a dinner-dance, featuring the band, the California Cowboys, on Sunday, July 3. The clubhouse opens at 6 p.m. No reservations are required for the barbecue dinner. The cost of admission is $18 for adults and $12 for children 8 years and under. To hear the music without the dinner, the cost is $10.

For more information, call 851-8300.
Red, white and blues concert

The Menlo Brass Quintet will present a free summer concert at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, July 3, on the patio of the First Baptist Church at 1100 Middle Ave. in Menlo Park. The program includes the premiere performance of the "Bar-B-Que Suite" by composer Dan Smith, plus patriotic standards such as "God Bless America."

Concert-goers are invited to stay for a barbecue supper of hamburgers, hot dogs, etc., at $3 for adults and $l for children, 12 and under. For information, call 364-8413.
Stanford concert, fireworks

The swing band known as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will entertain at a Sunday, July 3, concert at Frost Amphitheater at Stanford University, starting at 7:30 p.m. Gates will open for picnics at 5:30 p.m. Fireworks will follow the concert.

Admission is $38 for adults and $19 for youth 15 and under. The concert will be performed rain or shine; fireworks are dependent on the weather conditions.
Little House picnic

Little House Activity Center, at 800 Middle Ave. in Menlo Park, is inviting the public to an old-fashioned picnic in the courtyard from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Music will be provided by "Plan B." Tickets are $8 for members and $10 for others. For details, call 326-2025.
Redwood City parade

The Fourth of July parade in Redwood City starts at the corner of Brewster and Winslow streets at 10 a.m. and loops around downtown Redwood City.

It will feature local dignitaries, antique cars, floats, equestrians and marching bands. There will be food and arts and crafts booths in the downtown area. The Bradford Street stage will feature the Emily Lord and Marshall Law bands.

The day will end with the annual fireworks show launched from the water at the Port of Redwood City. The fireworks can be seen from high points all over the Peninsula.
Redwood City Kiwanis carnival

The Woodside Terrace A.M. Kiwanis Club of Redwood City will present its annual carnival, with rides ranging from the Ferris Wheel to the Dragon Wagon, on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, July 2-4, in the county government center parking lot, corner of Veterans Boulevard and Middlefield Road in Redwood City. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day. For information, call 592-3250.
Caltrain service

Caltrain will operate on a Sunday schedule on the Fourth of July, but will add trains to bring people home from the fireworks display in San Francisco.

In addition to Caltrain scheduled service, three post-fireworks trains will department from the San Francisco terminal at Fourth and King streets at 11 p.m., 11:30 p.m. and 12:15 a.m., making all local stops to San Jose.

The San Francisco Giants play the Cincinnati Reds at 1:05 p.m. on July 4 and Caltrain will operate its regular weekend service to get fans to and from the game.

Northbound trains will leave San Jose at 9:35 a.m. and 10:35 a.m. A southbound express train to San Carlos will leave the San Francisco station 15 minutes after the last out or when full, making all local stops from San Carlos to San Jose. A second train will leave 25 minutes after the game and serve all local stops to San Jose.

For information, call Caltrain at 1-800-660-4287 or go to www.caltrain.com.

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