BETHEL – Village streets and the town common will be bustling with buskers next week during the Maine Performing Arts Festival.

More than a dozen mimes, musicians, comics, jugglers, acrobats, yo-yo entertainers, and more, will be performing and accepting audience contributions reminiscent of a European Hat Fair.

Additionally, Bethel’s ambiance during the family-oriented event from Wednesday, Aug. 9, through Sunday, Aug. 13, will be that of highly energetic, yet light and funny, professional theater, Fred Nolte, busker fest promoter and owner of The Chapman Inn on Main Street, said early Thursday evening.

“Boy, it’s just going to be a whole lot of fun!” he said.

“There’s a lot of buzz in the busker community about this festival. These people have been on Letterman, Leno and Barbara Walters shows. I like to say, they’ve performed for kings, queens, princes and presidents,” Nolte added of the international talent.

Buskers include:

• Dan Foley and Joel Harris, a comedy juggling duo dubbed, The Airborne Comedians.

• Peter Panic, a juggling, unicycling and comedy show.

• Eric Royer, a one-man bluegrass band.

• Keith Leaf, a fire-juggling comedian.

• Musicians Tom Bianchi and Danielle Miraglia.

• John and Rebecca Hibgy, an husband and wife yo-yo comedy team.

• Rumford comic magician Scot Grasette, who is president of the Maine Chapter of Society of American Magicians.

• Joseph Therault, an Old Port busker with an Old World squeeze box.

• Comic mime Margot Carr.

• Rami Salami, a balloon artist and clown.

• Thomas Starkey, a one-man keyboard band.

Buskers will perform daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. starting Thursday, Aug. 10.

Festivities begin at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9, with the frantic, slapstick-paced Italian comedy, “The Servant of Two Masters” by Carlo Goldoni.

A 10-member troupe of professional and aspiring actors and actresses will perform daily, Goldoni’s play at 7:30 p.m., and, at 2 p.m., artistic director Andrew Harris’s adaptation, “Telling Tall Tales.”

“Tales” recounts two European folk tales, “Golden Lie” and “Big Nose,” which, like the play, will be performed in Bingham Auditorium at Gould Academy.

Additionally, headliner musicians will perform daily from 4 to 5 p.m. on the common. They include, Mad Agnes on Thursday, Aug. 10; the Half Moon Jug Band on Friday, Aug. 11; bluegrass band Jerks of Grass on Saturday, Aug. 12; and country music artists, the Don Campbell Band, on Sunday, Aug. 13.

Thursday, Aug. 10, has been dubbed “Young Performers Day,” which, Nolte said, is open to any youngster of any age who wants to get up and perform. During another daily event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., professional circus performers will teach circus routines at the common.

As a nonprofit event, the Maine Performing Arts Festival is being presented by Sunday River Ski Resort. Additional sponsors include the Mahoosuc Arts Council, Sudbury Inn, Gould Academy and the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce.

Festival board member John H. Todd of Bethel said early Thursday evening that the idea to bring professional and internationally famous talent to Bethel germinated last year from an idea among theater lovers in town.

“We’re extremely delighted with this cast of top-drawer folks,” Todd said.

“If the crowds come like I think they will, (the buskers) will have a great time, because they live to perform. They are world-class performers,” Nolte added.