Get ready for gunfighters, two stages of entertainment, a plethora of arts and crafts and food booths, a carnival and a petting zoo at the 15th annual Founders Day celebration in Old Town Burleson on Saturday, Oct. 13.

The festival kicked off in 1993 when Jim Bailey, a city council member for 18 years, and his wife Bettie organized the event. The focus has always been on Old Town, where the city got its roots.

Saturday’s fun will kick off at 9 a.m. and shut down at 6 p.m. The Burleson Community Chorale will perform on the main stage at 9 a.m. at the corner of Ellison and Main streets, next to the railroad tracks. The City of Burleson’s own Rey Gonzales, assistant director of public works, and his band, Silver Rail, will be the headliners at 1 p.m. on the main stage. Burleson’s own Quebe Sisters will fiddle and sing their way through a 90-minute set that starts at 4:30 p.m. on the main stage.

The festival will include dancers, gymnasts, martial arts, play equipment, a display of campers, boats, tractors, and recreational vehicles, and hands-on activities such as building crafts and displaying artistic talent. There will even be a dog obedience demonstration.

The Interurban building at the corner of Wilson and Ellison streets will be open on Founders Day to show off the wealth of history inside its doors.

Founders Day is a joint effort of the City of Burleson’s parks and recreation department and the Burleson Heritage Foundation. For more information about Founders Day festivities, call the parks and recreation department at 817-295-8168. For a booth application, call the Interurban building at 817-447-1575.

Streets will be closed for Founders Day

With a large turnout expected for the 15th annual Founders Day in Burleson’s Old Town on Saturday, Oct. 13, come early and stay late to keep your parking space.

Ellison Street, which runs in front of Burleson City Hall, will be closed from Bransom Street (next to the police department) to Commerce Street, by the railroad tracks. Warren Street will be closed from Renfro Street to south of Ellison; Wilson Street will be closed from the city hall parking lot to south of Ellison; and Main Street will be closed from Renfro Street to south of Ellison.

The main stage will be set up near the corner of Main and Ellison. The carnival will be set up in the Main Street area. The second stage, hosted by First Baptist Church, will be set up at the corner of Warren and Ellison.

City staff, volunteers, and members of the Burleson High School ROTC will be coordinating traffic and parking.

The festival opens at 9 a.m. with the Burleson Community Chorale and closes at 6 p.m. with the sound of the Quebe Sisters Band. Silver Rail Band will be on the main stage at 1 p.m.

For more information about street closures or traffic patterns, call Rey Gonzales at 817-447-5410, ext. 271.