NORWAY — Water Street will be closed from morning to early afternoon May 31 for the Norway Family Fishing Festival. Norway Recreation Dept. Director Debra Partridge brought the request for closing the road for that time to the selectboard last Thursday, May 15.
This event used to be in Bethel. This year, it will happen on Norway Lake. When the event was held in Bethel, Partridge said 50 to 75 children participated. This year’s festival is hoping to attract more families totaling around 100 people, she guessed. She says that the location of the event is convenient because it is a walkable distance from Main Street.
“It’s not a derby or a competition,” Partridge told the selectboard. “It’s educational.”
Partridge told the board that children will be taught not only how to clean fish after they’ve been caught, but also how to cook them. The Center for an Ecology Based Economy will be at the festival doing face painting, and the Norway Historical Society will be bringing old fishing photos to put on display.
“It’s really an educational morning for people,” said Partridge.
She requested that the road be closed during the event so that children can walk around freely without there being a concern for traffic.
There will be 50 fishing poles available for people to borrow. Anyone under the age of 16 does not need a license to fish. Partridge said that people may spend some time fishing, and then move on to other activities that are going on throughout the morning.
Although Partridge said she doesn’t know what to expect, she’s optimistic.
“We have a lot of organizations that have come together very quickly to put this together and it is very unique,” she said.
Norway Police Chief Rob Federico stated that he has no problem with the festival being held at the lake.
“She’s doing a great thing,” he told the selectboard.
Norway Town Manager David Holt told Partridge that she would need to first communicate with homeowners on Water Street to let them know that the festival will be happening from there. The board approved Partridge’s request to close Water Street from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 31, for the event.
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