The East Suburbs' biggest festival may be trading in that title for "longest" festival.

Monroeville SummerFest, in its ninth year, will be changing venues from Community College of Allegheny County-Boyce Campus to Monroeville Community Park on Tilbrook Road.

There's a format change, too, from a daylong to a summer-long event, which starts June 8.

One reason -- a well-timed one -- is that the new Tall Trees Amphitheater at the park has been completed and is ready to host concerts.

"That's probably the main reason for the shift in it becoming a series of events rather than a single event," says John Balicki, Monroeville recreation director.

The second shift is because CCAC-Boyce, which has help support the event since its inception, is no longer a partner in the event.

"Our intent was never to really keep it here," says Charles Bostaph, director of career services at the college and former co-chairman for SummerFest. "It was to house it here until the new park was built."

Arden Courts and Mirage Advertising, both in Monroeville, have signed on to sponsor this year's Summer-Fest. With their support, Balicki says the municipality can do the summer-long events for the same cost as the single-day festival.

"In future years, I hope to have a sponsor for every show," Balicki says.

The location change also means a split in SummerFest joining with Monroeville Arts Council's annual juried art show, which will continue to be held at Boyce Campus the weekend of July 25 to 27. Moving to the park along with SummerFest isn't an option since the artwork needs an inside venue.

"Boyce was kind enough to let us continue there," says Vera Perry, arts council president.

Perry says that the council is hoping good publicity will draw at least some of the crowd the art show shared with SummerFest. Sunday of the art show will coincide with the council's Pops in the Park final concert at Boyce, providing an additional draw.

Both Perry and Bostaph say that the art show may eventually move to from Boyce Campus to the park if a building suitable for displaying the works is constructed there.

"If you're going to grow, you can't live in the past," says Perry, who is optimistic about the change. "You have to look toward the future."

SummerFest events have been scheduled every Sunday from June 8 through Aug. 24, except for the Independence Day weekend.

The season will begin and end with an afternoon mini-festival.

FamilyFest kicks off SummerFest on June 8, a streamlined version of the old SummerFest that will focus on family activities -- a rock climbing wall, inflatables, arts and crafts, entertainment, food and community booths.

The summer events wind down Aug. 24 with an Ethnic-Fest to celebrate the community's cultural diversity through food and cultural arts.

This year's performances will focus on European heritage with German, Italian, Croatian, Scottish and Polish dance troupes.

SummerFest has also lined up nine evenings of live entertainment, followed by family movies in the park. The performance series covers a variety of music genres, from jazz and rock n' roll to salsa, teen talents, classical, country, and rhythm and blues.

The SummerFest evening concerts will complement Monroeville Arts Council's Summer Pops Concert Series at the CCAC-Boyce auditorium, held on Sunday afternoons in July, as well as the sixth annual Monroeville Jazz Festival at Boyce Park on July 26.

SummerFest series schedule

The Monroeville SummerFest Perfor-mance Series will take place at Tall Trees Amphitheater in Monroeville Community Park, 2399 Tilbrook Road.

Live performances are 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and "Movies by Moonlight" begin at dark, about 9 p.m. The family movies all have G and PG ratings.

Pre-packaged snacks and drinks will be sold. Seating is blanket only, except for wheelchairs and those with limited mobility.

• June 8 -- FamilyFest, 2 to 6 p.m. Family activities, entertainment and food.

• June 15 -- Jimmy Sapienza's Five Guys Named Moe (jazz, swing, classic rock). Movie: "The Lion King."

• June 22 -- KardaZ (rock n'roll). Movie: "Star Wars-Episode 1."

• June 29 -- JazzBeau (jazz and blues), sponsored by Monroeville Arts Council. Movie: "Finding Nemo."

• July 13 -- Azucar (Latin beat). Movie: "Wizard of Oz."

• July 20 -- Teen music showcase, presented by Teen Oasis.

• July 27 -- East Winds Symphonic Band. Movie: "101 Dalmations."

• Aug. 3 -- Chatham Baroque. Movie: "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium."

• Aug. 10 -- Davisson Brothers Band (country). Movie: "Horton Hears A Who."

• Aug. 17 -- 8th Street Rox (soul, rhythm and blues). Movie: "Enchanted."

• Aug. 24 -- EthnicFest, 2 to 6 p.m. Food, cultural arts, live dance troupe performances.