Photo

An old-fashioned Fourth of July, complete with parades, carnivals, Little League baseball, fireworks, a rodeo -- even a summer symphony under the stars -- is in store for local residents.

Menlo Park

Menlo Park will start the day with the annual match-up between the champions of the Menlo-Atherton and Alpine West Menlo Little Leagues. The Menlo-Atherton league’s Draeger’s team will take on Peak Performance of the Alpine league at 10 a.m. at Harrison Field in Burgess Park at the Civic Center.

The celebration continues with a small town parade in downtown Menlo Park, followed by music, games and contests at Burgess Park.

Kids and their families are invited to bring decorated tricycles and bikes, red wagons, antique cars, floats and pets to the Wells Fargo parking lot at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, July 4, to assemble for the parade.

The parade starts at 11:30 a.m. at the corner of Santa Cruz Avenue and Chestnut Street and makes its way to Burgess Park.

The Burgess Park celebration will feature music by Nu Day -- playing rhythm and blues, Motown, and swing music -- plus carnival games, bounce houses, a rock climbing wall, crafts and contests from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. A $5 fee for a wrist band is required for activities.

Over at the Little House community center, at 800 Middle Ave. in Menlo Park, they’re having an old-fashioned picnic at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. The holiday menu will feature hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans, potatoes, salad and cherry cobbler, all for $10 for members and $15 for others. Steve Edwards is providing the music. For information, call 326-2025.

Palo Alto

The 25th anniversary Summer Festival and Chili Cook-Off will be held from noon to 5 p.m. in Mitchell Park, 600 E. Meadow Drive. The event is sponsored by the city's Recreation Department.

Local blues band Red Beans & Rice will perform, and Hedy McAdams will give line-dancing instructions.

Chili-tasting kits can be purchased for $5. Professional and amateur chefs will compete for the best-tasting chilis in three categories, including vegetarian.

Woodside

The Mounted Patrol of San Mateo County stages its 56th annual Woodside Norcal Junior Rodeo on July Fourth at the Mounted Patrol Grounds in Woodside. There will be plenty of action with cowboys and cowgirls under 18 taking part in bull riding, steer and calf riding, barrel racing and team roping.

Gates open at 7:30 a.m. with main events starting at noon. Admission is $20 for adults, $12 for youth under 15, and free for children under 8.

A barbecue and dance hosted by the Mounted Patrol will be open to the public on Monday, July 3, at the patrol grounds, beginning at 5 p.m. Tickets are available at the gate. Dinner is $20 for adults and $12 for kids under 15. Admission for dancing, without dinner, is $15.

For more information, call Jerry Williams at 851-8300.

Redwood City

Tyler MacNiven of Woodside and BJ Averell, winners from the hit CBS series “The Amazing Race,” will be the grand marshals of the 67th annual Redwood City Independence Day parade. The parade starts at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the corner of Brewster Avenue and Winslow Street.

Miss Redwood City, Miss San Mateo County, and the newly crowned Miss California will be waving to the crowd. The bands will include the Stanford Marching Band, Cal Davis Marching Band and the Santa Clara Vanguard Band.

A downtown arts and crafts festival follows the parade. The Emily Lord Band will play on the entertainment stage at Hamilton and Bradford streets from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The Marshall Law Band will entertain from 2 to 5 p.m.

There will be a battle of the bands between Stanford and UC Davis from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in front of the San Mateo Credit Union, between Jefferson Street and Middlefield Road.

This year’s Redwood City fireworks display almost didn’t happen. Last month the Peninsula Celebration Association, which has organized the Fourth of July fireworks show since the 1940s, said it would be called off because of crowd control and traffic concerns. After working with the Redwood City police and fire departments to deal with those concerns, and at the urging of city officials, the association decided to go on with the show.

The Redwood City fireworks display at the Port of Redwood City, located on Seaport Boulevard, east of Highway 101, begins at 9:30 p.m.

The Port of Redwood City fireworks show is the only location in Redwood City where the use of fireworks is permitted. Another Fourth of July fireworks show will be held in Foster City at the Leo Ryan Memorial Park.

Woodside Terrace A.M. Kiwanis Club will present its annual July Fourth carnival from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the corner of Veterans Boulevard and Middlefield Road in the county government center parking lot. The carnival will feature a variety of rides for the entire family, from the Ferris Wheel to the Dragon Wagon.

Stanford

Stanford Lively Arts will host its pre-Independence Day celebration at the Frost Amphitheater on Monday, July 3. Beginning at 7:30 p.m., the evening will include a performance by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, followed by a fireworks display. Admission is $38 for adults and $19 for youths 15 and under. The gates will open for picnicking at 5:30 p.m. For information, call 725-2787.

Mountain View

Shoreline Amphitheatre will host the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra in "Movie Magic" at 8 p.m. Tuesday, with a fireworks show to follow the concert. Tickets range from $15 TO $28.50. For information, call (650) 967-3000.

— Almanac and Palo Alto Weekly staff