It"s that time of summer. The streets of Ann Arbor are about to be overrun.

Come Wednesday, parking is going to be impossible, driving will be an unforgettable experience, and just walking the couple of blocks to Stucchi"s will take hours.

Anywhere from 500,000 to 700,000 visitors are expected to roam the downtown area.

The cause of the craziness?

The Ann Arbor Art Fairs, a combination of three separate art fairs all scheduled from July 18-July 20 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and July 21 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

"It"s like five football Saturdays put together in four days," said Shary Brown, executive director of the Street Art Fair, which will take place on South University Ave, East University Ave and Church Street.

The Street Art Fair is the oldest of the Art Fairs being held this week. It started 42 years ago as an attraction during the Summer Bargain Days, a series of sidewalk sales in Ann Arbor. The event became an immediate attraction and has grown considerably.

"It turned into a resounding success," Brown said.

Joining the Street Art fair are the State Street Art Fair and the Summer Art Fair. The State Street Art Fair is in its 34th year and the Summer Art Fair is in its 31st.

The State Street Fair covers the streets of State, Division, Maynard, William, North University, Thompson and Liberty.

The Summer Fair is located on State Street between South University and William, Main Street between Huron Street and William Street, and Liberty between Main Street and Fifth Ave.

In all, the Art Fairs fill more than 25 blocks of the downtown and campus area.

Brown said throughout the 31 years of hosting the Art Fair, the City of Ann Arbor has been able to solve some of the traffic problems.

The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority is advertising free parking at Briarwood Mall and Pioneer High School.

Shuttle busses will be assigned to go to and from the parking lots and the Art Fairs. The Art Fair Trolley will be running between the art fairs for pedestrians.

Area businesses are also preparing for the incoming flood of visitors.

Terri Golowesky, manager of Stucchi"s on South University, said that business during the Art Fair quadruples the business done on an average day.

"Normally we only have two people working on an average day. We have six people working during a shift during the Art Fair," Golowesky said.

"It"s very hectic. A clothing store isn"t going to do as much. More people are interested in the art than they are in clothes. But if it"s a hot day, and you walk by an ice cream store, it"s a different story," she added.

The Art Fairs display the creations of more than 1,000 artists.

Last year, the Street Art Fair received top honors from the Sunshine Artist Magazine and the National Association of Independent Artists for being the number one fine art fair in the country.

Weather during the Art Fair is expected to average 86 degrees, only a couple degrees above average. Thunderstorms are predicted on Wednesday.