Next weekend, folks from Earth and outer space are invited to celebrate local musicians and artists in an out-of-this-world experience featuring fire dancers, giant mushrooms and aliens. Not in a galaxy far, far away, but at the Whidbey Island Fairgrounds and Events Center in Langley.

On Aug. 16-18, the LittleBIGFest will bring the sound of funk, jazz fusion, blues, brass, reggae, rock and folk from bands from as far as Bellingham, Port Angeles, Portland and, of course, Whidbey Island.

According to Executive Producer Keegan Harshman and Co-Producer Priscilla Lowry, the festival continues to grow. Last year it featured 25 bands and was moved from a South Whidbey restaurant to the fairgrounds to accommodate the growing interest. The festival’s fourth edition, Harshman said, will bring 36 bands on three different stages, attracting an estimated 1,000 audience members each day.

“We took what was this teeny little cupcake and turned it into something that was a good sized birthday cake,” Lowry said.

About half of the bands in attendance are from Whidbey and include Ike and the Old Man and Kick Brass (both performing at 7 p.m. Friday) , Janie Cribbs & the T.Rust Band (6 p.m. Friday) and the Erik Christiansen Band (7:30 p.m. Friday), according to Harshman and the performance schedule.

After making a big hit last year, Scott Pemberton O Theory, a group from Portland, is returning to the stage at 10 p.m. on Sunday, bringing a mix of jazz, rock, funk, blues and grunge.

Harhsman particularly looks forward to the Polyrhythmics, one of the most known bands in Seattle that plays progressive funk, psychedelic rock and modern Afro-beat. He said he has seen them live over 10 times, which makes him “a bit of a fanboy.” The Polyrhythmics will be playing at 10 p.m. Saturday, according to the schedule.

The event will also feature space-themed art installations. Last year, according to Lowry, the theme was “Under the Sea.”

According to a press release by Russell Clepper, Art Director Nicole Ledgerwood is creating an installation named the “Jungles of Jupiter,” which features six-foot-tall mushrooms and neon strawberries.

Ledgerwood, who is helped by a group of local kids as well as fellow musician Janie Cribbs, is also creating a giant solar system with planets that are four feet wide and painted in neon paint that glows under black light, Harshman said.

The visual extravaganza is enhanced by fire dancers, a modern dance troupe, a light show with moving beams and shapes and a crowd of intergalactic critters.

According to Harshman, ticket holders are welcome to enjoy the show in full space fashion, dressing up according to each day’s theme — “Feature your Creature” on Friday, “Aliens and Angels” on Saturday, and “Space Cowboy, Cowgirl, Cowhuman” on Sunday.

Families can also socialize and relax in the family zone, where they can find couches, books and a place to breastfeed and change diapers. On Sunday afternoon, families will parade around the fairgrounds with masks, lanterns, noisemakers and percussion instruments built in a crafts area, Harshman said.

The festival will feature about 20 vendors, who will provide beeswax candles, face painting, watercolor art, jewelry, tie dye shirts, furry costuming, pottery and even kayaking tours to step away from the crowd and the heat, according to Lowry.

Visitors can choose to party for a day or the whole weekend.

The weekend pass costs $92 for adults, while seniors over the age of 60, military members and people with disabilities pay $72. Children under the age of 12 come free of charge. Visitors can camp in their own tents, RVs or vehicles at the fairgrounds campground, which reopened to the public Aug. 5.

Adults pay $32 for the Friday show and $40 for Saturday and Sunday shows, while military members, seniors and people with disabilities continue to get a discount — $25 on Friday and $32 Saturday and Sunday.

Since its creation in 2018, LittleBIGFest has been supporting local bands, introducing new artists and bringing together music enthusiasts, Harshman said.

Harshman founded the festival in 2018 in an effort to fill the gap in South Whidbey’s music festival scene left by Choochokam, Harshman said. The Choochokam Arts Festival was one of Langley’s main events and was canceled in 2017 after over 40 years of activity.

The executive producer was born on Whidbey and is the son of a beloved music and band teacher on South Whidbey, Chris Harshman. After moving back to Whidbey from California, the younger Harshman saw in Whidbey the perfect place for a festival.

“We have what I would say is a growing and thriving music scene, “ he said. “Growing up, it didn’t necessarily feel that way, and I’m really stoked that it’s moving in a positive direction.”

Even Canadian singer and harmonica player Harpdog Brown, who passed away in 2022, noticed a thriving music scene on the island, describing it as a “little big thing” after a performance on Whidbey, Harshman recalled.

Brown inspired the name of the festival, which Harshman wants to expand by welcoming bigger bands while also keeping its grassroots community character. LittleBIGFest is a nonprofit that devotes part of its proceeds from the festival and other events to art and music education.

To learn more about the schedule, costs and more, visit littlebigfest.org.