Belfast is going bonkers over bears this summer.

The land of the black bear will growl in admiration when this coastal community kicks off the Belfast Bearfest this weekend. The event is expected to be the premier expression of community art to ever hit Maine.

Running from June 17 to Oct. 20, the Belfast Bearfest will feature 40 life-size, three-dimensional fiberglass bears embellished in whimsy and scattered throughout the city.

Brightly decorated bears will be peering from rooftops, hanging from bridges, bobbing in the bay, lurking on corners and lunging from sidewalks. Each bear will have a unique look provided by the creative powers of many of Maine’s leading artists. For the next five months, Belfast and its bears will become a magical open-air art gallery. The Belfast Bearfest is destined to be the state’s must-see art show of the summer of 2000.

Belfast Bearfest is modeled after the successful “Cows on Parade,” in which a herd of painted cows took Chicago by storm and lured thousands of tourists to the Windy City last summer. Belfast businessman Michael Hurley happened to be in Chicago at the time and figured the same thing could work in Belfast.

“It was absolutely whimsical,” Hurley recalled. “I instantly saw that as a real mix of art and something that was accessible to people and something that would attract people to Belfast. This is going to be big, probably one of the biggest things this summer.”

To make the Belfast Bearfest a reality, Hurley, Nancy Hauswald and Cathy Melio lined up sponsors to help defray the cost of the bears and provide commissions to the participating artists. The names of the artists and their sponsors will be displayed on the bears. At the end of the event, the sponsors can either keep their bears to decorate their offices and businesses or put them in the season-ending Bearfest Auction. Proceeds from the auction of the bears will go to the sponsors’ favorite charities.

Some of the Belfast Bearfest bears will travel occasionally to events, festivals and other sites as requested by their sponsors but Belfast will be “where the bears are” most of the time.

The Belfast Bearfest will bring art to the community in a fun, interactive way. Tourists and locals will engage in conversations about art and squabble over their favorite bear. Cameras will be out in force. There will be music and parties in celebration of the bears.

“This is going to inspire the entire state,” Hurley said. “To look at these bears you can’t just drive around in your car. You’ll have to get out of your car to see them, touch them and have your picture taken with them. It’s going to bear watching.”

For more information on Bearfest check out the Web site at www.belfastbearfest.com.