The annual Fringe Festival is back in downtown North Bay for another week of shows and events. The festival, now in its 11th year, will run from Aug. 14 to 18 at the Capitol Centre and various other downtown locations. Over the past decade, the festival has expanded significantly, starting as a two-day event in 2014 and now featuring four dedicated performance venues in and around the Capitol Centre.
This year’s festival will showcase twelve Fringe shows, three presentations as part of the multi-disciplinary duality program, a dance workshop, a conspiracy of three presentations, and a special one-night-only presentation of The Highwaymen, a live Dungeons & Dragons role-playing series that was sold out at last year’s festival. In addition to these performances, there will be events and activities in local restaurants and public spaces throughout the downtown area.
One of the major changes for this year’s festival is the centralization of the box office. In previous years, tickets could be purchased at the Capitol Centre box office or at the doors of the venues. However, this year, all ticket sales will be handled exclusively by the Capitol Centre. It is recommended that patrons purchase their passes or tickets in advance to avoid long line-ups. Tickets and passes can be purchased in-person, over the phone, or through the Capitol Centre’s website.
Fringe festivals have a long history, dating back to 1947 when a group of theatre companies staged productions in smaller, alternative venues on the fringes of the Edinburgh International Festival. In Canada, Fringe Festivals follow the principles set forth by the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals, which include returning 100% of ticket proceeds to the artists, providing accessible opportunities for all audiences and artists, and promoting inclusivity, diversity, and multiculturalism.
This year, a dozen artists and companies were selected by lottery to participate in the North Bay festival, with almost half of them coming from the local area. The shows will cover a range of genres including theatre, comedy, dance, physical theatre, musical theatre, and spoken word/storytelling. Each Fringe show will run for up to 60 minutes with limited seating available.
In addition to the Fringe shows, the festival will feature a duality program with three curated performances and events. Local Indigenous multi-arts company Aanmitaagzi Story Makers will kick off the festival, followed by performances from John Arthur Sweet and So.Glad Arts. Tickets for the Fringe shows are $14 each, and festival passes, providing access to all shows, are available for $120.
For more information about the festival and to purchase tickets, visit fringenorth.com. Don’t miss out on this exciting celebration of arts and culture in downtown North Bay!