Expect changes for Harbor Fest this year, creator Lori Pecor said.

But also expect those changes to be improvements.

The third annual Harbor Fest will tweak the formula from August 29 until September 7, but some of the familiar facets will remain, albeit in a changed format.

Instead of a one-time chili and chowder cook-off competition, the cook-off will spread from Friday until Sunday. This year, each of the participating restaurants will have a time that tasters can come in, sample the goods, and listen to live music, Pecor said.

“My whole thought was to showcase the restaurants that were participating,” she said. “Before, they had to leave their kitchens (to go to the Shipyard) and it actually cost them money to be a part of the cook-off.

“The way we reformatted it is to get people into the businesses that are participating.”

Along with the cook-off aspect, each restaurant will be providing live music as part of the three-day weekend. The idea came from an unlikely source, Pecor said: The South By Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, Texas.

“Instead of having everyone show up just once to hear live music, they can walk around, see the shops, and hear music all weekend long,” she said. “Any place people go, they will be able to hear live music.”

Pecor said there will almost always be music playing for Harbor Fest.

Harbor Fest will start at 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29 with the Harbor Crawl, which is free and lasts until 7 p.m. There will be printed maps showing the different businesses involved during the crawl, Pecor said.

The chili and chowder cook-off will begin in earnest on Friday, and voting will last until Sunday, Aug. 31.

This year the voting will be administered through $10 passports, which allow participants to try all the dishes at the 14 participating stops.

Saturday will feature Art on the Waterfront, presented by Boothbay Region Art Foundation from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the Marketing Cents 4u treasure hunt will start at 11 a.m.

Also on Saturday will be the Wailin' Jennys at the Opera House.

Sunday, Aug. 31 will start with a 5k road race and half marathon at 9 a.m. at the Boothbay Craft Brewery. The race benefits Boothbay Region Community Trails.

The following week will be dove-tailed into the state-wide restaurant week before the Boothbay Craft Brewery again brings the noise 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5 with Georgia-based duo Crying Wolf.

Saturday, Sept. 6 will also feature another first for the Harbor Fest: the Fishin' for Fashion Show, which will task designers to let out their inner fishermen.

“The designs all have to incorporate some nautical or marine aspect,” Pecor said. “Because fishing is our heritage here, they have to incorporate things like fishing nets into their designs.”

The fashion show will be from 2 to 4 p.m. at Rocktide Inn, which will also host the closing party shortly after the fashion show.

The chili chowder winners will be announced at the closing party on September 6.

For more information or for a full schedule of events, visit www.boothbayharborfest.com or stop by Boothbay Provisions and Concierge at 31 Commercial Street in Boothbay Harbor.