The bands are coming, from Chicago, New Orleans, Florida, Hawaii, Los Angeles, New Mexico and Nashville..

And they’ll be at South Whidbey’s Playground in the Park Saturday and Sunday for the Geoduck Festival, a musical gathering of nationally known artists who are also playing for a cause.

Now in its second year, the August festival has already had two names: In 2001, it was called the Deception Pass Music Festival, scheduled to be held in Deception Pass State Park. But bureaucratic obstacles, said organizer Jay Nehf, required a last minute change of venue. South Whidbey Parks and Recreation stepped in, offering its Community Park as a site for the event.

“They have been so very helpful both last year and this year,” Nehf said. “We think the world of these guys.”

The name change came next.

Why “Geoduck Festival?” The answer isn’t especially illuminating.

“Because of the Deception Pass debacle, we decided to go with a name that was not connected to a place,” Nehf said. “Tandi Roberts, one of our most important volunteers, came up with ‘Geoduck’ and it passed a vote.”

What is clear, Nehf said, is that the Geoduck (pronounced “gooey-duck”) will be a “sensational” musical event.

“The island has never seen anything like it.”

The music will cover the styles of Cajun, bluegrass, traditional folk, Celtic rock, contemporary rock, Hawaiian slack key guitar, Native American music and more. The artists have several Grammy nominations among them and long lists of performance credits, and most have a cadre of enthusiastic followers who plan vacations around the tours of their musical heroes.

Nehf ticked off some of the names:

* John Tristao is a member of the band Credence Clearwater Revisited. In the 1960s he sang with People, and he’s appeared in commercials, films, and in the series,”Twin Peaks.”

* Jo-El Sonnier, born in Rayne, La., has been been considered the “King of Cajun” for the past 20 years. His “Cajun Pride” was nominated for a Grammy; he has played on the albums of Neil Diamond, Johnny Cash, Elvis Costello and the Indigo Girls, and has shared the stage with Bob Dylan and George Jones.

* Cherokee Rose, another Grammy nominee, brings a blend of contemporary folk, flavored with traditional Native American themes. Her song writing has been compared to Buffy St. Marie and Joni Mitchell. Born in Nashville, she now lives in New Mexico.

* Tom Landa and the Paperboys will return with their fusion of Celtic, bluegrass, Latin and roots pop. They’ve earned a Juno (a Canadian Grammy) and a West Coast Music Award.

* Janie Cribbs has played in London, Corsica, Paris, Dublin, Los Angeles and Seattle. Her hybrid of traditional Irish music and original folk rock has earned her Washington Blues Society nominations for Best New Band and Best Female Vocalist.

* George Kahumoku, Jr., Hawaiian born and a master of the slack key guitar, has appeared on the Prairie Home Companion and entertained such dignitaries as Queen Elizabeth, the Premier of China and the Prince of Thailand.

* Dana Lyons, “The Godfather of Grange,” is responsible for the hit-song, “Cows With Guns.” He has nine songs on the MP3.com Top 40.

“People who don’t come to this festival will really miss out,” Nehf said. “Where else can you get so close to the performers? Last year Nickel Creek band members were even playing Frisbee with some of the kids.”

Nehf said the performers themselves are “tickled” to be here. “There’s an atmosphere, a spirit they can’t get in a large stadium,” he said.

The festival includes music workshops in mandolin and guitar, with Sam Pacetti and Clyde Walker.

And of course the event will feature festival foods — Asian dishes, Doodle Dogs, Dan’s kettle corn — and vendors with arts and crafts.

Between 30 and 40 volunteers have been working since last year to remount the music festival.

Among them are several who have cerebral palsy: River Nelson of Coupeville, 12, who will announce the bands; Ronald Peters of South Whidbey, who will sign the introductions; Patti Kwarsik, who has worked on accommodations for handicapped concertgoers.

The Geoduck Festival has found increased sponsorships this year.

“The responses from the artists’ agents and community leaders have been terrific,” Nehf said. Among the supporters are Cycle Barn in Lynnwood; Elixir Guitar Strings of Portland; Sugar Hill Records; Fineline Printing; Office Max; Marion Henny of Clinton; Nichols Brothers Boat Builders of Freeland (“They bailed us out at the last minute.”

The Geoduck Festival is a neophyte in the world of large musical events, Nehf concedes, but he has optimism it will one day be a major draw to the Island and a significant fund-raiser for cerebral palsy victims. That farsighted vision is why Whatever Events, the sponsoring organization, refused to compromise on the quality of the performers, he said.

Last year the festival had about 800 people over both days, Nehf said.

“We want to continue attracting people from off the Island and compete with Seattle. Our attendance goal is $150,000.”