Burlington will begin celebrations of its 125th anniversary this week with a party and lighting event.
The city was incorporated by the N.C. General Assembly on Feb. 14, 1893, making 2018 Burlington’s quasquicentennial. A year-long celebration will kick off on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at the Burlington Municipal Building, 425 S. Lexington Ave. Lexington will be closed from Maple Avenue to Davis Street for the event.
Refreshments will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. A tent with sides, heaters and lighting will be accessible during the event. Smitty’s Ice Cream has developed a limited edition quasquicentennial ice cream flavor that can be found only at the Burlington location. Sheetz will donate a coffee and hot chocolate bar, and cupcakes will also be available.
On Jan. 10, led by N.C. Sen. Rick Gunn and N.C. Rep. Steve Ross, both the state Senate and state House issued statements honoring Burlington’s 125th anniversary. Gunn and Ross will present the statements to the city at the event.
At 6:30 p.m., the building will be lit in blue and gold to stand as a year-long reminder of the anniversary. The 125th logo sign installation also will be unveiled.
Burlington second-graders in ABSS schools have been asked to design birthday cards highlighting their favorite places in town. The contest winner will also be announced will have an ad feature in the Times-News on Wednesday, Feb. 14. All of the classroom winners’ artwork will be on display in the event tent.
The celebrations will continue throughout the year, and multiple community organizations plan to contribute to the commemoration. Updates on events can be found at www.Burlington125.com. The community also can use #Burlington125 to join the social media conversation. Tagged social media posts will be aggregated on the website.
“Burlington’s 125th anniversary is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the city’s history and get excited about where our city is headed,” Public Information Officer Rachel Kelly said in a press release. “It is important that our citizens and merchants embrace the celebration in their own way, and many have already expressed plans to do so.”
