Grand Ol' Fashioned Picnic on the Fourth

SCOTTSDALE - Scottsdale might not have the biggest or the most explosive Fourth of July celebration, but it's probably the friendliest and the most nostalgic.

"We try to make it a real family event," said event coordinator Tony Cassano, who hopes this will be the biggest Fourth of July yet.

This year's free Grand Ol' Fashioned Picnic will be held at Scottsdale Stadium so that small kids and big kids can run the bases or get up a game of whiffle ball. What this event lacks in pyrotechnics, it makes up for in old-fashioned fun.

Cassano has a lineup of the games your grandparents played: potato-sack races and three-legged races. The tug-of-war was one of the most popular events at last year's picnic, and it's back this year.

"Tug-of-war was huge last year," Cassano said. "Everybody loves tug-of-war."

Parents played against kids, and the kids ruled, he said.

Also on the schedule are pie-eating and watermelon-eating contests.

Guests can write letters to soldiers serving overseas, and they will be mailed to service men and women.

"A lot of people want to say thank you, but they don't know how," Cassano said.

No. 1 activity? Just hanging out.

Again this year, French's Meat Shoppe of Scottsdale will provide free hot dogs. The stadium's huge charcoal grills will be fired up for those who want to grill their own burgers, chicken, steaks.

The Scottsdale International Club will sell beverages.

While the evening doesn't include fireworks, locations of Valley fireworks displays will be available, Cassano said. The picnic runs from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and is an easy drive to any other celebration in town.

"That gives people plenty of time," Cassano said. "They don't have to speed."