Fringe 2017: Information 

The 2017 KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival

Thursday, September 14 — Saturday, September 23

The sixth annual KeyBank 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 Fringe also has a handy app available on Google Play and Apple App Stores.

One Fringe Place

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 shows throughout the event.

The Spiegelgarden will host the site-specific shows "Bushwhacked: Crystal Magic Wonder Cabinet Palace Tent," "Dashboard Dramas IV," "Complimentary Heckling," "the space between," and the Storychick Rochester Storybooth as well as the Pedestrian Drive-In. This is also the hub for Fringe's new Farm to Fringe program.

Across the street is Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, where comedian John Mulaney will perform Friday, September 22, at 7 p.m. Tickets are already sold out. Next door, the Gospel Sunday program will take place in Kilbourn Hall (26 Gibbs Street) on Sunday, September 17, 2 p.m. Free and appropriate for all ages.

Outdoor venues

Parcel 5 (next to One East Avenue) is the location for Friday and Saturday on the Fringe, a free program featuring performances by Plasticiens Volants and a lot of local bands. Friday, September 15, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, September 16, 5 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 Sirsy, Oh Manitou, La Muralla, and Prime Time Funk — site-specific performances, public art, food, and an outdoor bar. Friday, September 22, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, September 23, 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Part of that second weekend, the Fringe Street Beat dance competition is back — and with a cash prize of $1,500 for the team with the best moves. Saturday, September 23. Preliminary rounds start at noon; and finals run from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Free to watch and appropriate for all ages. If you want to compete, registration is now open at rochesterfringe.com and costs $5 per team.

Neighborhood venues

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 Museum 900 East Avenue

Eastman School of Music 26 Gibbs Street

Gallery r 100 College Avenue

Garth Fagan Dance Studio 50 Chestnut Street

Geva Theatre Center 75 Woodbury Boulevard

Java's Café 16 Gibbs Street

The Little Theatre 240 East Avenue

Lyric Theatre 440 East Avenue

Makers Gallery & Studio 34 Elton Street, Third Floor

MuCCC 142 Atlantic Avenue

Rochester Contemporary Art Center 137 East Avenue

School of the Arts 45 Prince Street

Strasenburgh Planetarium at RMSC 663 East Avenue

TheatreROCS Stage at Abilene 153 Liberty Pole Way

Writers & Books 740 University Avenue

Tickets

Fringe shows are separately ticketed and prices vary from program to program. All tickets can be purchased online at rochesterfringe.com; by phone at 957-9837; 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 150 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.

Parking

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.

Keep up with CITY

Each day, CITY's critics will offer up reviews and photos of the previous night's performances, and you can post your own thoughts in the 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 20, 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 ages 18 and older. 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.