ROCHESTER FRINGE BEGINS TODAY 11TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL RUNS 12 DAYS

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Rochester Fringe Festival begins today, Tuesday, September 13, through Saturday, September 24. The 11th annual festival features 500+ shows – with 130 free events – including comedy, dance, theatre, music, spoken word, visual arts, film, and children's entertainment. Performances happen at 34 venues in and around downtown Rochester, each unique venue collaborating with artists to curate a diverse, vibrant production experience.

"For 12 wonderful days, the Fringe brings the world stage to our doorstep, transforming downtown into an entertainment hub for the community to enjoy," says Festival Producer Erica Fee.

Friday & Saturday on the Fringe (September 16-17) presents world-renowned circus company The Flying Españas in Flippin' Metal Circus, an adrenaline-pumping WORLD PREMIERE which includes a flying trapeze and a 200-foot motorcycle highwire.

Fringe Finale Weekend (September 23-24) features world-famous aerial dance company BANDALOOP, which seamlessly weaves vertical climbing technology, dynamic physicality, and intricate choreography to turn the dance floor on its side. BANDALOOP performs downtown on the 21-story Five Star Plaza building. Previous engagements include Tower Bridge for the London Olympics and the Seattle Space Needle.

The festival's hub, One Fringe Place, is home to the Spiegelgarden and glamorous Cristal Palace Spiegeltent. Cirque du Fringe: Afterglow – an all-new WORLD PREMIERE from Las Vegas legends Matt Morgan and Heidi Brucker Morgan – features a cast of renowned international artists and runs 12 nights of Fringe in the historic Spiegeltent.

Late night weekend programming in the Spiegeltent includes Late & Live, an all-new, swanky cabaret showcasing Fringe artists performing highlights from their shows and hosted by award-winning physical comedian Mark Gindick (Cirque du Soleil, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and The Late Show with David Letterman). Plus, the hit Shakespeare-inspired, comedy Shotspeare returns, and Silent Disco closes out all four weekend late-nights.

Other free, outdoor events returning: Fringe Street Beat, an epic, all-styles and breakdance competition; Pedestrian Drive-In, nightly films on the big screen; Kids Day for families; and Gospel Sunday, an afternoon of beloved local gospel music.

The 12-day Rochester Fringe Festival is the largest multidisciplinary performing arts festival in New York State and one of the top three attended Fringe Festivals in the United States. More than 500,000 people have enjoyed nearly 4,000 performances and events at the Fringe since its inception in 2012.

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SOURCE Rochester Fringe Festival, Inc.