On Saturday, June 15, the City of Decorah, Iowa, will commemorate the town’s 175th Anniversary – the Dodransbicentennial.

The public is invited to a short program at 10 a.m. at Vesterheim Commons the morning of the 15th with remarks by Mayor Lorraine Borowski and Prosper Waukon (descendant of Chief Waukon Decorah), and a special performance of the Decorah Municipal Band.

Everyone is then encouraged to visit historic locations around the community where special tours, events, and family activities are taking place. One of these programs will be a special tour at 12:30 p.m. of Vesterheim’s Painter-Bernatz Mill.

Also on Saturday, is a presentation by Decorah Historic Preservation Commission Members Mark Muggli and Judy van der Linden titled What’s Still Here: Decorah’s Surviving Properties, 1849-1870. Winneshiek County Historical Society (WCHS) will host an Ice Cream Social event with ice cream provided by Sugar Bowl. Families are invited to enjoy vintage games at Phelps Park (Decorah’s oldest public park) courtesy of Decorah Parks and Recreation and the Locust School Committee. The Porter House Museum will host afternoon tours and Vesterheim will host a tour of the Painter-Bernatz Mill.

Prosper Waukon, who is in Decorah as a guest of the Winneshiek County Historical Society, will be onsite at WCHS (302 South Mill Street, Decorah) from 2-4 p.m. for conversation with a more formal presentation to follow in the evening (6-7 p.m.) at the Hotel Winneshiek in downtown Decorah.

For the full day’s schedule, specific event details and locations, and to stay apprised of additional opportunities go to Visit Decorah’s Facebook event or Visit Decorah’s Event Calendar visitdecorah.com/events.