Nancy Sundstrom, left, a Leif Erikson Fall Festival Committee member, and Barb Thorne, owner of the Swedish Passport in Norway and member of the Downtown Development Authority, begin to decorate Main Street in Norway for fall. This year’s festival was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. The city of Norway will dedicate two new parks with a ceremony Saturday afternoon. The committee has been involved in the dedication. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

NORWAY — The city of Norway and Downtown Development Authority will host a dedication ceremony Saturday at its recently renovated park at the corner of Main and U.S. 2, along with the new Veterans’ Park on Main Street.

The event begins at 1 p.m. at the corner park.

State Sen. Edward McBroom will speak at the dedication.

“The name of the park will also be revealed to the public,” said Barb Thorne, a member of the DDA and Leif Erikson Festival Committee. “We will also be unveiling the Viking statue that will be placed in the center of the park.”

The ceremony will proceed across the street to the Veterans’ Park next to the American Legion.

Access to the parks will be limited to the participating officials, Thorne said.

Anyone interested in attending can view from outside the park.

The ceremony will also be livestreamed on the city of Norway’s Facebook page.

“This way, everyone will be able to see the dedication live,” Thorne said.

Attendees should follow state guidelines to avoid COVID-19, including keeping at least 6 feet away from those outside of your personal household and wearing a mask, said Nancy Sundstrom, a Leif Erikson Festival Committee member.

For safety concerns, portions of the 600 block of Main Street will be closed during the dedication

The Leif Erikson Festival Planning Committee also announced that this year’s annual Fall Festival has been canceled due to coronavirus concerns. Next year’s event will be Oct. 9-10, 2021, in downtown Norway. 

The committee is seeking volunteers to assist in planning, which starts in early 2021. Those interested can contact Thorne at swpassport@gmail.com.