Things will be hopping in Burleson on Friday and Saturday.

In preparation for the 137th anniversary of the founding of Burleson, the City of Burleson is holding a block party in Old Town Burleson.

The party gets started at 7 a.m. when the Burleson Economic Development Corporation takes over JoCo Community Radio for the day.

A full day of programming is planned to celebrate the Burleson community. Listeners will hear from Mayor Ken Shetter and other elected officials, Burleson ISD coaches and small business leaders.

The event will wrap up with a free concert from 6-10 p.m. Some of the local musicians performing will be The Dolan Band, Brittany Oviedo, Jesse Jennings and others.

The event will benefit the Burleson Drowning Prevention Coalition which raises funds to provide free swim lessons to children in the community. The public can call in anytime to make a donation. For each $25 received, a student will receive four lessons, over one month, of life saving instruction from Sigma Swim.

On Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., the non-profit, Burleson Heritage Foundation will be hosting the Founders Day Celebration in Old Town Burleson.

Founders Day events include a car show, a pet parade, vendors and food trucks. The event is free to the public.

According to Carlton Carnes, Recreation Supervisor for Athletics and Events for the City of Burleson, the Founders Day celebration started in 1992.

The event is the brainchild of Neal Jones and Jim and Betty Bailey with assistance from the City of Burleson.

The purpose of Founders to was to recreate what parties the original founders of Burleson would hold. At those events, people would come together to trade goods, watch picture shows, play music, and join together as a community.

The Founders Day Car, Truck and Bike Show will be held from noon-5 p.m. will feature 34 classes and award 56 prizes.

For the third year, the Pooch Parade and Costume Contest will take play from 8-10 a.m.

At least three food trucks - Spicy C BBQ, Nana’s Lunch Box and Chicas Taco’s - will be serving food at Founders Day.

Some fast facts about the city of Burleson on Founders Day:

• Dr  Rufus Columbus Burleson, president of Baylor University, was a preacher, educator, and mentor to Rev. H. C. Renfro, who bought the original land and renamed the town “Burleson” in his friend’s honor.

• Burleson was established as a Johnson County Community in 1881 and officially incorporated as a town on May 21, 1972.

• The first school in this area, established in 1879, was at Brushy Mound – what is now near Renfro and Alsbury.

• D. I. Murphy donated that land for the school and made a generous contribution to the cost of the first school building.

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