Modern-day Burke has quite the colorful past; from surviving the Civil War to becoming the weekend getaway for the residents of the nation’s capital. Complete with hotels and horse racing, Burke provided a popular destination for those living in the Washington D.C. area at the turn of the 20th century. And, in the not too distant past, citizens of Burke fought back—and won—after Burke was selected as the site for the second Washington Area jet airport, forcing the United States government instead to relocate to the current site now known as Dulles International Airport.
To celebrate the oft-changing Burke, the community’s own historical society holds Burke History Day Saturday, Oct. 12, in Downtown Burke, featuring exhibits, children’s activities and presentations about the people, places and events throughout the years that the place as we know it today.
The history-themed festival will be at Burke Volunteer Fire and Rescue, 9501 Old Burke Lake Road, Burke, across from the Burke Post Office.
The event is free, open to the public, and is in conjunction with the Burke Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department’s Annual Open House.
The Burke Historical Society is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose goal is to preserve the history of Burke through the collection of photographs and artifacts, through publications, through research into the people, places and customs of many eras, and through living history. BHS works to protect local Burke history through maintenance of its artifacts, buildings and cemeteries. For more information, visit www.burkehistoricalsociety.org.