After 31 years, you would think that everything that could be done has been done at the Fremont Fair, the annual summer celebration known for its Solstice Parade (featuring wildly decorated floats and participants - costumed and non-costumed alike), Solstice Pageant, art car procession, briefcase relay, entertainment stages, crafts vendors, food booths and general merry-making all weekend long.

But you'd be wrong.

This year's event, which will take place on the weekend of June 22-23, features a new route for the Soltice Parade on Saturday, beginning at noon. The route will start from 1st Avenue NW and N. 36th Street and proceed east (via N. 36th, Fremont Avenue, N. 34th, Stone Way, and Northlake Way) to its final destination: Gas Works Park.

The park will be the site of the annual Soltice Pageant, which will take place on Saturday, from 3-3:30 p.m. The pageant is described by the Fremont Arts Council as "a modern myth, told with tree-sized puppets and heads of brightly colored beasts," of the arrival of the longest day of the year "and the redemptive power of a community creating together." "This year, crowds will marvel at the procession of constellations, a sea filled with beautiful creatures, the Sun swallowed by a giant whale, and the amazing transformation that follows," states a brochure recently issued by the arts council, the citizens group that is producing the pageant.

The Fremont Fair will also have a new musical venue: the Evanston Avenue Stage, located at Evanston Avenue and N. 34th, which will host a variety of musical acts throughout the weekend including the Little Big Band ('30s and '40s-style swing), Kimball and Fugitives (blues, rockabilly and swing) and The Combustion Collective (jazz improv), to name a few. In addition, the fair boasts three other outdoor music venues: the Redhook Mainstage, the Solstice Plaza Stage and the Partnership World Stage (located at Canal Park). A Fremont Fair Concert Series is also planned on June 21 and 22 at The Fremont Unconventional Centre, located at 160 N. Canal St.

Of course, paraders and music aren't the weekend's only draws. This year, the Fremont Fair will feature 230 vendors of crafts and imported goods and nearly 30 food vendors. In keeping with tradition, the annual Fremont Briefcase Relay Fun Run will help kick off the Fremont Fair weekend on Friday, June 21, at 6 p.m. The race, which starts at the Waiting for the Interurban statue, features briefcase-wielding runners.

For a different kind of athlete, there is the Seattle Solstice Skate on Sunday, June 23, starting at 6:30 a.m. at the REI store in Redmond and proceeding west along the Burke-Gilman Trail to the "Center of the Universe," aka Fremont. The skate is open to all ages and skill levels.

On top of all that, visitors will be treated to an Art Car Fest, a Kids Universe, and many other events that undoubtedly defy mere written descriptions.

And lest anyone should forget, all this merriment is for a good cause: the Fremont Fair raises money to benefit the Fremont Public Association, one of the largest human service agencies in King County.

Sponsors of this year's Fremont Fair include Pepsi, the Seattle Weekly, TrendWest, PCC Natural Markets, Redhook Brewery, Piecora's Pizza,Torrefazione Italia, Brenneke School of Massage, Honey Bucket, I.A.T.S.E, Marriott, KISS 106.1 FM radio, The Cascades Conservation Partnership, Aquafina, Allsport, Getty Images and K2 Skates.