NORWAY — The Norway Arts Festival will have a new look this year.

For the event, put on by Norway Downtown and the Western Maine Art Group, several blocks of Main Street will be closed to traffic from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 10, to make the venue more open and safer for artists, performers and visitors.

Sunday, July 11, is the rain date.

“We’ve imagined what it would be like to open the street to pedestrians for several years and finally it’s happening,” said event coordinator Lisa Moore.

“We hope that on Sunday, July 11, everyone will agree that it was a good decision,” Moore said, adding, “We’re very grateful to the Norway selectmen, David Holt and Chief Federico for their support.”

As part of the arts festival, everyone will have a chance to own some art, courtesy of a free raffle that will begin on Thursday. Anyone may enter at these 14 locations: Café Nomad, Spare Closet Revisited, Books N Things, Woodmans, L.M. Longleys, Creative Media, Artful Hands, Village Gift Barn, Secret Garden, Days Gone By Antiques, Christian Science Reading Room, 100 Acre Wood, Fare Share Market and the Norway Historical Society.

Three names will be drawn at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at the town square. Winners will be able to choose art from the sidewalk; you must be present to win.

The festival will kick off at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 8, with a lecture focusing on the John A. Roberts of Norway (1852-1920). Lee Dassler of the Western Foothills Land Trust will deliver a lecture about Roberts at Norway Memorial Library. Like all events, the lecture is free. Short printed biographies will be sold to help support the festival.

Roberts was a Bowdoin graduate, member of the Maine Bar Association, state representative and state senator. While active in town management, the library, and the Grange societies of Norway and Oxford counties, he devoted time to “scientifically” rehabilitating the Henry Pike farm in Norway into a profitable model Maine farm. He served as a trustee for the University of Maine and as Maine’s commissioner of agriculture for the last seven years of his life.

On Friday, the annual Rotary and Kiwanis auction will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. and the library’s used-book sale will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Grange. At 7 p.m., a street dance behind Fare Share Market will feature Taina Asili La Banda Rebelde, a South American-influenced band that has been touring North America to promote its CD, “War Cry.” Caribbean food will be served and dancing is encouraged. “Norway will be hearing music we’ve never heard before and, hopefully, that we will never forget,” said organizer Rijah Newell.

Early Saturday morning, the Norway Triathlon will begin at 8 a.m. This year, 150 bikers, runners and swimmers will compete.

At the same time, more than 100 artists will set up on Main Street for the 43rd Annual Sidewalk Art Show. Prizes this year total more than $3,500, including awards for painting, photography and jewelry.

A full day of performances will begin at 9 a.m. on Main Street with Dancers on the Green beside the library. Creative Media musicians will perform at 10 a.m. Local musicians, including Katey Branch, the Skylark Jazz Ensemble and Act V, will perform on the town square. There will be children’s activities at Witherall Park, including music, puppets, performances and art workshops. Local merchants and food vendors will keep feed and hydrated.

Mary Hargreaves and Lucindagail will sing at noon at the library, followed by the eighth annual Poets on the Porch. This year, POP VIII will welcome Martin Steingesser of Portland preceded by local poets who will read original works. Poets include Siiri Cressey and Madeline Strange of Lewiston; Rijah Newell, John Governale and Ben Hull of Norway; Greg Zemlansky of South Paris; Joanna Reese of Greenwood; Mark Swiedom of Hebron; Hargreaves of Sumner; Michalene Hague and Shri Nageswari of Otisfield; Eric Dibner of Casco; Ann Day of Waitsfield, Vt.; Rockie Graham of Waterford; and Lisa Moore of Harrison.

Other activities will include two church lunches, a yard and bake sale by the Finnish American Heritage Society, an Art Moves yard sale Saturday morning, a Chair-ity Auction at the Lajos Matolcsy Western Maine Art Center, and homemade pies and iced tea served in the Marigold Tea Room at the Historical Society.

For more information, visit www.norwayartsfestival.com.