The 116th annual Old Settlers Picnic will take place Sunday, Aug. 3, at the Old Settlers Picnic Ground in Burdickville.

The annual gathering will have some new elements this year. The day starts with an informal worship service at the picnic ground chapel at 10:30 a.m. The Rev. Marv Rosa will lead the service, which will include songs and spiritual words.

New for this year is book written by local author Tom Van Zoeren titled Dottie Book. The book is a history of Dottie Lanham and the Burdickville area, and will be on sale to the public at the picnic.

At 11:15 a.m., the Old Settlers tent opens with Van Zoeren’s book on sale, as well as a history book about the association titled Old Settlers Picnic Association. Also at that time, tickets for the Empire Masonic Lodge’s Bar-B-Q lunch go on sale.

The Beecraft family from Bendon will have their shingle mill set up for demonstrations and will have an exhibit of old tools from previous generations on hand as well. A jar filled with candy will be on display and participants are encouraged to guess how many pieces of candy are inside. The guess closes to the number of pieces wins the jar and contents.

Rodney Beyers and his one-man music band will begin performing easy listening and polka music starting at 11:30 a.m., and the Bar-B-Q lunch starts at noon.

At 1:30 p.m. the annual meeting of the picnic starts with Don Miller as master of ceremonies. Activities include a flag raising, the election of board officers for the coming year, and an update on the treasury report.

Awards are given for oldest man and woman in attendance, longest married couple, newest married couple, and youngest child.

The picnic is a family-centered event and open to everyone.

The Old Settlers Picnic Grounds are located on Dunns Farm Road, about a quarter-mile north of the intersection with Burdickville Road.