Who says that community festivals are history? The Burke Park Log Cabin Committee, who will be hosting Bethel’s first historical community celebration in nearly a decade.

The Founder’s Day Festival, which will take place June 29-July 1 at Burke Park in Bethel, will be the first such celebration since 1998 when Bethel celebrated its bicentennial. This will, in effect, celebrate Bethel’s 209th birthday.

“This would be the 209th anniversary of the founding of Bethel, which is the second oldest village in the county,” said Burke Park Log Cabin Committee member Ron Shouse. “Williamsburg was first, in 1796. There hasn’t been anything like this in the park for some time, and we want to begin to bring awareness back of the cabins. Any proceeds will got to the restoration of the cabins. We want people to be able to come together, meet, have some great fellowship and something to do on a summer evening that’s fun.”

The log cabin committee formed last year in response to the possibility of losing the log cabins currently located in Burke Park in Bethel. The committee is dedicated to saving the cabins, restoring them and creating in them a center for various activities throughout the year, much like the Founders Day celebration, which Shouse said has been in decline in recent years.