After nine months of postponement, the grand opening of the SPAM Museum is nearly here.

And what a party it's going to be.

According to Julie Craven, director of public relations at Hormel Foods Corp., the two days of the festival (which takes place June 15-16) are two very different days. "Saturday is more of a celebration of American classics. There will be classic American cars, classic rock n' roll, classic Minnesota sports figures, classic TV moms (including Marion Ross from "Happy Days," Barbara Billingsley from "Leave It to Beaver" and Debra Jo Rupp from "That '70s Show"). Like SPAM, they're things that are all-American, have stood the test of time and been around for decades," Craven said.

Sunday, which honors World War II veterans, "will have a very different look and feel to it. The WW II vets are really important and precious and frankly, they aren't going to be with us 20 years from now," Craven said.

To commemorate WW II veterans, Tom Brokaw, news anchor for NBC, will assist in dedicating a memorial for the vets Sunday. Craven said though "we thought it would be a longshot to get him." Festival organizers wanted Brokaw to come because of his "Great Generation" series of books.

Craven says that when an invitation was extended to Brokaw, it included letters sent to Hormel by soldiers during WWII. "That made a huge connection with him and … he decided to come," she said.

Surprisingly, the line-up of celebrities and entertainers is nearly identical to the celebration that had been slated for Sept. 15-16. "I was a little surprised and very pleased we could find a date that worked for everyone,"

Craven said.

Despite delaying the grand opening celebration because of the Sept. 11 attacks, the museum still opened Sept. 17 and since then, 36,000 people have toured it.

Craven explains it's a popular attraction because "there's something for everyone. It's not just about the history of Hormel. I've seen grandparents bring their little grandkids and both found something to connect with."

Though the museum does explore the history of the Hormel Foods Corp. and SPAM, there also are "very current, high-tech games," Craven said.

Since the museum is already so popular, no doubt the festival will draw scores of people as well. Craven estimates that during the two days, 20,000 to 30,000 people will take part in the activities.

However, she stresses, parking will not be a problem. Free parking will be offered at Riverland Community College, the Oak Park Mall and the Holiday Inn. From those locations, shuttle busses will be making trips to and from the events at the SPAM Museum every 15 minutes.

For more information, visit the SPAM Museum's Web site at www.spam.com.