BURLINGTON — It’s a chance for those away from home to get back in touch with friends and family.

That’s the whole point of the annual Burlington Family Reunion, that’s set for this weekend.

Now in its eighth year, the reunion starts off tonight at 6 p.m. with a fish fry at the Burlington Commons. Then it gears up again on Saturday with a cookout, also at the commons, that will run from noon until dark.

The idea came about when there would be a funeral of someone in the Burlington community that would bring back family and friends now living away. Seeing old friends inspired residents that a reunion would be a good way of keeping in touch.

“At funerals you don’t have time to discuss how things are going, past and present,” Chuck Linthicum said. “With this event you have a couple of days to sit down and talk.”

Linthicum is on the planning committee for the reunion.

“We have had people from Las Vegas, Texas, California, down in Atlanta, New York, from all over,” Linthicum said. “It gets bigger every year. Last year there was a crowd.”

Saturday is also a chance for cooks to share their culinary skills as everyone coming to the cookout is asked to bring a covered dish. Aaron Jackson and his catering company does the meat.

“We supply the meat,” Linthicum said. “Hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs and hopefully all the fixings that go with it.”

The party shuts down only when the last guest gets ready to leave.

“It is close to dark,” he said. “If anybody wants to stay and talk, we stay right there.”