An estimated 150,000 people will swarm the Seattle Center over Labor Day weekend for this year’s Bumbershoot, the nearly 40-year-old arts and music festival.

Bumbershoot is one of the largest music and arts festivals in the world, with hundreds of artists and acts appearing in more than 20 venues around the Seattle Center.

This year’s festival features such notable names as The Black Eyed Peas and Modest Mouse in music, Patton Oswalt and Eugene Mirman in comedy, and Melvin Van Peebles and Tom Douglas in literature.

In addition, Bumbershoot 2009 will be bringing a bit of Ballard to the masses.

Lo-Ball: The Local Ballard Comedy Show will have its turn in the spotlight at 4:45 p.m., Sept. 5 at the Comedy Stage West.

Lo-Ball is a sketch and stand-up comedy show produced by the People’s Republic of Komedy that takes place on the first Friday of every month at Live Girls! Theater in Ballard.

Photos and interviews from all three days of Bumbershoot will be posted daily at www.ballardnewstribune.com. Be sure to check out our Web site over Labor Day weekend to get a glimpse of the wide array of arts and music the city will be offering.