The Rochester Fringe Festival will return for its 15th season, September 15-26 in downtown Rochester. Over 12 action-packed days of music, comedy, dance, theater, circus arts and film are planned across the city.
The festival is New York state’s largest multidisciplinary performing arts event, featuring 715 performances across 45 venues. Pete Davidson will lead the comedy line-up.
Among this year’s other highlights is the debut of Circus in the City, a new “festival within a festival” that brings free outdoor circus performances to the streets of downtown Rochester.
The program will feature circus arts, street theater, interactive experiences and themed food and beverages. It also marks the first large-scale collection of outdoor circus performances in Western New York.
The meat of the main performances will take place Friday, September 18, and Saturday, September 19.
The lineup includes “Summer Break” by Québec-based FLIP Fabrique, an internationally acclaimed contemporary circus company known for its high-energy performances and world-class acrobatics.
Several productions will be staged in unconventional venues across Rochester, including parks, forests, campers, canal trails and storefront windows.
At Mt. Hope Cemetery, “Invisible No More” honors hundreds of people once buried at a 19th-century almshouse, asylum and penitentiary. Their remains were discovered during a 1984 excavation in Highland Park before being reburied.
Meanwhile, “Forest Music” leads audiences through Washington Grove, where live musicians perform along the trails of Rochester’s only old-growth forest. Austin Steward Plaza will also host “EcoVibes – Oil and Water Don’t Mix” and “The Sights and Sounds District,” which explores the city’s lesser-known history.
You can read more about the festival and ticketing in an article by Christine Saldana at our arts and culture reporting partner NYS Music.
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Photo of Circus EVO performers provided.
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