Cookout at the Ranch V
Food and Drinks Country Music Auction and Raffles
Exhibits Ticket Information
Past Cookout Information
Everybody will be heading for MacDonald's Ranch on June 3rd.
Outback Steakhouse and Mac
Donald's Ranch are bringing together great
entertainment, the best Aussie cookout this side of Adelaid, hayrides and more for
the benefit of the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive and desert preservation. And it's all
happening on a working horse ranch set in 1300 acres of pristine Sonoran desert. The event
is being organized by Friends of the Scenic Drive, Desert Foothills Land Trust and
McDowell Sonoran Land Trust.
Big Cookout & Fun
Mac Donald's Ranch in north Scottsdale, Arizona is the place to be on
June 3rd from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. to enjoy a great meal prepared by Outback Steakhouse. As
in the past, Outback Steakhouse is providing all the food and catering services for the
event: complete steak dinner with all the fixings (steak, salad, vegetable, rolls) and
beverages. The price of a ticket includes unlimited soda and 2 beers or 2 wines.
All the Best Country, And More!
Due to popular demand Arizona's-own Geoff Conklin returns to Cookout at the
Ranch to deliver a pleasant 
repertoire of top country, Jimmy Buffet, James
Taylor and original tunes.
For 7 years, Conklin has entertained the happy crowd at Greasewood Flat with his guitar and flat-out enjoyable music honed at engagements at Phoenix and Scottsdale resorts, Rawhide and Flagstaff's Mad Italian. It's not unusual for as many as two thousand folks to make the drive down the dusty road to Greasewood on a Saturday evening to enjoy "old Arizona", a cool drink and Conklin's music.
Silent Auction & Raffles
Many local merchants are participating by donating valuable
merchandise and services that will be auctioned and raffled off. Donated
items include dinners at local restaurants, horseback rides, sports
souvenirs from the Diamondbacks, Cardinals, Coyotes, Rattlers and Suns, gift certificates and much more.
Silent Auction items include four rounds of golf at The Boulders and several
limited edition Charles Beckendorf prints (click on roadrunner print to
enlarge). 
Don't miss the opportunity to make a winning
bid.
In addition to the Silent Auction, you can participate in 4 different raffles:
#1. Door Prize Raffle. Everybody who attends gets a chance to win a fantastic prize donated by the event's organizers. #2. Merchant's Raffle. $1 buys a chance to win one of the many items donated by local merchants. #3. Wheel Barrow Raffle. Win a wheel barrow and all the bottles of liquid refreshment it contains. Raffle tickets are $10 and we're only selling 200 raffle tickets so your odds are good. Raffle tickets are now available from Friends' volunteers or you can purchase your tickets at Cookout IV. We will be drawing the winning ticket at the Cookout. #4. Special Raffle: Another free raffle. Obtain free maps of the original Scenic Drive, Scottsdale's Scenic Corridors and the planned McDowell Sonoran Preserve at this web site (just click here for maps). Bring the printout of the maps to the cookout and you'll be entered into a free drawing for a very special gift donated by the City of Scottsdale.
Interesting Exhibits and Community Leaders
There will be interesting preservation, history, wildlife and community service exhibits. Guests will have the opportunity to see and learn about rehabilitated critters such hawks and owls. The following organizations are expected to exhibit.
Wildlife Management and Rehabilitation Exhibitors
- Arizona Game and Fish
- Foothills Animal Rescue
- Liberty Wildlife
- Power and Pride Percheron Horse
- Southwest Wildlife Rehabilitation
- Wild at Heart
Desert Preservation, Plants and History
- Desert Botanical Gardens
- Desert Foothills Land Trust
- Friends of the Scenic Drive
- McDowell Sonoran Land Trust
- Pueblo Grande Museum
- Scottsdale Historical Society
- Sierra Club
Community
- City of Scottsdale: Desert Foothills Character Area Study
- Coalition of Pinnacle Peak
- Greater Pinnacle Peak Homeowners Association
- Rural Metro
And if you choose, you can to say, "Howdy!", to members of the Scottsdale City Council and other federal, state and community leaders in a very relaxed setting.
Parking Information
Parking is included. When you arrive, park in MacDonald's parking lot. Our volunteers will be there to assist you. You can ride the team-drawn haywagon, walk or be driven in a van to the desert cookout site. When it's time to leave you have the same transportation options for returning to the parking lot.
Ticket Information: Don't Delay - Act Now and Save!
Seating is limited and we are selling tickets on a first-come first-served basis. Advance purchase ticket prices are $25 for and adult ticket and $12 for a child ticket. There is a limit of 3 child tickets per family.
If there are any tickets left on June 3rd, they will be available at Mac Donald's Ranch starting at 5 p.m. for $30 for adults and $15 for children. Act now! Cookout III and IV sold out.
How to Obtain Tickets
Beginning in April, many North Scottsdale businesses will have brown pamphlets describing the event. You can use the ticket order form in the pamphlet to order your tickets. You can also obtain a cookout pamphlet and order form by sending us an E-mail requesting one. Be sure to include your return mailing address. How To Contact Us
You will also be able to obtain a cookout pamphlet at Scottsdale City Hall (Kiva reception desk), in the lobby of the 1 Civic Center City of Scottsdale building (7447 Indian School Road), or any of the City of Scottsdale Service Centers listed below:
- Grayhawk, 7525 E. Grayhawk Drive, 312-8300
- Sonoran Sky Elementary, 12990 N. 75th Street, 312-7724
- Desert Canyon, 10203 E. McDowell Mountain Rd., 312-6280
- Corporation Yard, 9191 E. San Salvadore Drive, 312-5835
- Los Arcos Mall, 1315 N. Scottsdale Road, 312-7900
In addition, pamphlets can be picked up at Carefree City Hall, Mac Donald's Ranch at Scottsdale Road and Jomax, at the General Store at Pinnacle Peak and Pima Roads, and at the Outback Steakhouse restaurant at 4715 East Cactus, Paradise Valley.
The easiest way to obtain tickets is to write to us indicating the number and type of tickets you want. Be sure to include your address, phone number and a personal check. We'll mail the tickets to you. This Web site article includes all the information that is covered by the pamphlet. How To Contact Us. Tickets can also be purchased at MacDonald's Ranch.
How to Get to MacDonald's Ranch
MacDonald's Ranch is located on the west side of Scottsdale Road, just south of Jomax Road; approximately 2 miles north of the intersection of Scottsdale and Pinnacle Peak Roads.
About the Organizers
This year Friends is proud to welcome the Desert Foothills Land Trust as an event organizer. The Desert Foothills Land Trust is dedicated to preserving the unique Sonoran desert foothills containing Carefree, Cave Creek, New River and far North Scottsdale. The easiest way to learn more about them is to visit their Web site.
The McDowell Sonoran Land Trust participated as a co-organizer of last year's very successful event. The McDowell Sonoran Land Trust has been a important force in the creation of Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve. The group is dedicated to preserving an open space that can be enjoyed by students, hikers, equestrians, bird watchers, just about everyone - for generations to come.
To learn about our organization, visit About Friends.
Information About Past Cookouts
Cookout at the Ranch has become an area tradition. If you would like to read about past cookouts, visit the stories we wrote about Cookout at the Ranch IV, Cookout at the Ranch III and Cookout at the Ranch II.
