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Thursday, September 15 — Saturday, September 24
The 5th annual First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival will host more than 500 performances in and around Rochester's downtown. The Fringe's official website is rochesterfringe.com, where you can find a full schedule of events, purchase tickets, and get the latest information.
The glitzy hub of the Fringe, One Fringe Place (corner of East Main and Gibbs Streets) houses the Spiegeltent and Spiegelgarden, the Fringe box office and information booth, ATMs, food trucks, and several free events throughout the event.
The Spiegelgarden will host the site-specific shows "Bushwhacked in Bed," "Dashboard Dramas III," and "Guerrilla Art" as well as the Pedestrian Drive-In. This is also the gathering point for Remote Rochester.
Across the street is Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, where comedian Patton Oswalt will perform Friday, September 16, at 9 p.m. Tickets are $35-$80, and can be purchased at rochesterfringe.com or by calling 274-3000. Next door, the Gospel Sunday program will take place in Kilbourn Hall (26 Gibbs Street) on Sunday, September 18, 2 p.m. Free and appropriate for all ages.
Parcel 5 (next to One East Avenue) is the location for Friday and Saturday on the Fringe, a free program featuring performances by STREB and local bands, and "Fringe Street Beat," a breakdancing and hip-hop dance competition. Friday, September 16, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, September 17, 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The second weekend of Fringe, Gibbs Street (Between East Avenue and East Main Street) will be filled with free music — including The Campbell Brothers, Significant Other, Knower, and Castle Creek — site-specific performances, public art, food, and an outdoor bar. Friday, September 23, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, September 24, 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Part of that second weekend, The Method Machine show "Grimms' Mad Tales" will take place in One Fringe Place and along Gibbs Street on Friday, September 23, and Saturday, September 24. 6 p.m. Free and appropriate for all ages.
Some locations host several venues, so be sure to check show information for specifics
Bernunzio Uptown Music 122 East Avenue
Blackfriars Theatre 795 East Main Street
Central Library 115 South Avenue
Dryden Theatre at George Eastman House 900 East Avenue
Eastman School of Music 26 Gibbs Street
Gallery r 100 College Avenue
Garth Fagan Dance Studio 50 Chestnut Street
Java's Café 16 Gibbs Street
The Little 240 East Avenue
Lyric Theatre 440 East Avenue
MuCCC 142 Atlantic Avenue
RAPA @ SOTA 45 Prince Street
Rochester Contemporary Art Center 137 East Avenue
Sproull Atrium at Miller Center 25 Gibbs Street
Strasenburgh Planetarium at RMSC 657 East Avenue
The Strong National Museum of Play One Manhattan Square
TheatreROCS Stage 321 Broad Street
Writer & Books 740 University Avenue
Fringe shows are separately ticketed — there is not a Fringe Fanatic pass this year — and prices vary from program to program. All tickets can be purchased online at rochesterfringe.com; by phone at 957-9837 (except for Patton Oswalt tickets, call 274-3000); in person at all Fringe venues starting one hour prior to the performance; and in person at the Fringe Box Office in One Fringe Place. Many performances will fill up quick, so it's recommended you buy tickets in advance.
There are also around 170 free shows at this year's Fringe, including Friday and Saturday on the Fringe at Parcel 5, and performances on Gibbs Street during the second weekend. To explore the free performances, go to rochesterfringe.com, click "Find a show," and look for the "Only free shows" filter option.
Convenient parking for the East End venues can be found in the East End parking garage at the corner of Scio Street and East Avenue. Additional parking can be found in the Washington Square Garage (111 Woodbury Boulevard), Court Street Garage (194 Court Street), Sister Cities Garage (28 North Fitzhugh Street), and One HSBC Plaza (100 Chestnut Street). Daily parking at each of these locations costs $7 per car. Also be on the lookout for street parking or spots in surface lots throughout the neighborhood.
The Fringe is a pedestrian and bike-friendly event. There will be plenty of bike parking at One Fringe Place.
For additional Fringe info, keep an eye out for City's daily Fringe Blog. City's critics will offer up reviews and photos of the previous night's performances, and you can post your own thoughts in comments section. New blogs will be up by 7 a.m. each morning of the festival. We'll also post updates on our Facebook page (facebook.com/CityNewspaper), on Twitter (@roccitynews), and on Instagram (@roccitynews).
City will again host TriviaCITY during Fringe on Wednesday, September 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the Spiegelgarden. The trivia night will focus on arts and culture (with rounds specifically about Rochester and the Fringe), and is free. Appropriate for mature audiences. There is no sign-up, but teams cannot be larger than six people.
To let us know how your Fringe is going, use the hashtag #fringeCITY on social media.