I'M USUALLY ENVIOUS of people who pack up their cars to flee the city for a fun destination every Fourth of July, but this year it was really fun just to be in Manchester.

The HASLAW Manchester Mile and 5K road races helped to create a fun and festive Fourth for those of us who stayed in the city. HASLAW, by the way, is the abbreviation used by the Hinckley, Allen and Snyder law office.

The one-mile, downhill race was a great activity for adults as well as children who want to run like mom and dad, but aren't ready to go the distance of a more traditional race.

Race Director John Mortimer said there were more than 200 kids younger than 12 in the race, and they all ran for free thanks to a sponsorship by MVP Health Care.

The one-mile distance and downhill route from Derryfield Park along Bridge Street was perfect for my 5-year-old, who especially enjoyed being greeted by the giant, blowup dinosaur displayed by Nick Soggu and the gang at Silvertech near the end of the race route.

You can see how much fun everyone had by viewing the photo gallery at MillenniumRunning.com. There are also photos for sale at unionleader.com. Maybe it will inspire some of you would-be runners to participate in one of the many other races coming up.

I'm looking forward to the My Dogs Are Barking 5K to benefit the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire on Oct. 7. Some people like to run with their kids, but I also like to run with my dog!

The party atmosphere created by Tuesday's races continued into the night as even more people showed up at Derryfield Park to view the city's fireworks display. Many who were there probably didn't appreciate all the hard work and planning that Mortimer and the Millennium Running crew put into the races, but many certainly appreciated the row of portable potties that were left behind.

The second annual HASLAW Manchester Mile and 5K doubled in size from its inaugural year. I think it's on track to become even bigger and more fun in coming years — making people like me look forward to being in Manchester on the Fourth of July.

Finding fireworks

Speaking of fireworks, I'd like to apologize to Sue, a reader who emailed me last week asking about good places from which to view the city's fireworks display. In last week's column I had mentioned there were many places to see the fireworks away from the busy crowds of Arms Park, my favorite being Derryfield Park.

But truth is, besides some sidewalks on Elm Street, I don't really know of any other public gathering spots with decent views of the display. Sue said she's never found Arms Park to be very family-friendly (I agree), and the other places where she went to watch the works are now blocked by newer buildings.

If you have a favorite fireworks spot, Sue and I would love to hear about it — but I won't be surprised if no one responds. I would want to keep my favorite spot a secret, too.

Caring for the community

The Beech Street area near JFK Coliseum is going to be pretty busy this Saturday as Manchester Christian Church holds its One Day of Community event at Sheridan-Emmett Park.

The church will be giving away 4,000 bags of school supplies and 2,000 bags of personal care items for men, women, children and babies who need a helping hand.

This free event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you know an individual or organization with clients who could use a helping hand I hope you'll encourage them to stop by.

In addition to donations they'll find fun for the whole family, including bouncy houses, music, carnival games and food. Anyone can just stop by for a fun city event.

Meet the Muchachos

It's good to know that some people are paying attention to this column. I always end the Scene in Manchester column with the NH365.org Event of the Week. NH365.org is a free, online events calendar and anyone who wants to have their Manchester event considered as the Event of the Week needs to get it in the calendar.

Ken Vachon, publicity chairman for The Muchachos Drum & Bugle Corps may be the only one to ever notice this. He entered the Muchachos' Fiesta de Musica event at NH365.org and then emailed me to get “dibs” as this week's Event of the Week. I was happy to oblige!

Fiesta de Musica is the Muchachos' annual summer music show. It takes place this Sunday at Memorial High School's Chabot-McDonough Field at 5:30 p.m. The show is a Drum Corps International competition, featuring corps from other states and even Quebec. More importantly, it's the biggest fundraiser for the nonprofit Muchachos.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and children 12 and younger. They can be purchased at the door or at muchachos.org.

For more information about this or other events, or to have your event considered as a future Event of the Week, go to NH365.org.

If you have an interesting item for Scene in Manchester, email it to scene@unionleader.com