ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

This is your sign. ✨ The weird idea. The genre-blending piece. The immersive experience. The magic show. The solo musical. The dance-theatre hybrid. The comedy set that doesn’t fit in a box. We want all of it. 🎭🔥 With 40+ unique venues across Rochester- from intimate black boxes to full theatres to unexpected spaces-there’s a stage that fits your vision. 💫 If it’s bold, creative, out-of-the-box, or completely unclassifiable… it belongs at the Fringe. 💥💥APPLY NOW! Venues fill up fast‼️ ➡️➡️backstage.rochesterfringe.com #eslrochesterfringefestival #rochesterny #fringefestival #artists 🎥 Launch Creative Studio, @launchcreative.studio 💡Lighting Design: Emily Stork 🪩Shown: Fringe 2025

💥WANT TO PITCH YOUR SHOW IN-PERSON⁉️ 💥WANT TO SPEAK ONE-ON-ONE WITH FRINGE VENUES⁉️ 💥WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU APPLY⁉️ 💥WANT TO CHAT ABOUT A UNIQUE SHOW IDEA⁉️ ➡️Join us for MEET THE VENUES 🏰🏯🏭🏢🏣 🗓️Saturday, February 28th ⏰3:00-4:00PM 📍School of the Arts, Ensemble Theatre ✍️Register TODAY: tinyurl.com/Meetthevenues26 📸Keith Bullis 👯‍♀️The Painter ✨School of the Arts #rocfringe26 #eslrochesterfringefestival #rochesterny #rochesterartist #fringefestival

🚨🚨SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN‼️‼️ Submit your show NOW at the link below & be a part of the 2026 ESL Rochester Fringe Festival! 🌟 👇🏾SUBMIT HERE👇🏾 backstage.rochesterfringe.com Be a part of New York State’s largest multidisciplinary performing arts festival!💃🏽🎶🎨 All (and we mean ALLLLL) shows are welcome at the Fringe! Whether you’re a musician🎼, a filmmaker🎬, a poet📝, a magician🪄, an aerialist 🦋, an actor 🎭, a juggler🤹🏽‍♀️, a sword-wielder⚔️(okay, just keep it safe on this one) or just a creative with a prettyyyy cool idea for a show 💭 we want you to apply! It’s 💥FREE💥to apply to over 40 venues across Rochester! Early submission is encouraged as our venues fill up fast‼️ So, what are you waiting for❓COME FRINGE WITH US!🕺🏾 #rocfringe26 #rochesterny #eslrochesterfringefestival #fringefestival #artist 📸 David Schiffhauer 💃🏼A Tie That Binds 🏰 School of the Arts

📣Hear ye, hear ye! The countdown is on ⏰ & we’re officially 1️⃣WEEK away from show submissions! Whether you’re a story teller 🎙️, an acrobat 🎪, a musician 🎶, an actor 🎭, a dancer 🕺🏾, a filmmaker 🎥, a juggler 🤹🏽‍♀️, a magician 🪄 or anything in between or beyond…COME FRINGE WITH US!💥 It’s FREE to submit your show to over 40 unique venues 🏰around Rochester!🎊 Oh, and if you have a bold idea for a show in an out-of-the-box 📦 location, we want to hear about it! We cannot wait to find out what you’re bringing to the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival 2026! We KNOW it’s going to be 🧨🧨🧨. 🎥 credit: Launch Creative Studio, @launchcreative.studio Clip 1: Funkyard Brass, Memorial Art Gallery @magrochester Clip 2: Genesis, School of the Arts @rcsdsota Clip 3: 1 Small Lie: Martin Dockery, JCC CenterStage, @jcccenterstage

👋🏽HEY ARTISTS! YEAH, YOU. 🎨🖌️🎭🎶🎸 Still not sure what performing at Fringe is all about⁉️ ⏰Join us tomorrow for a FREE webinar to learn more about what you can expect, how to submit a strong application & get your questions answered by our team! 👨🏽‍💻Fringe 101 Webinar| Jan 28 | 12PM EST 👇🏾Link below to register: tinyurl.com/Fringe26Webinar

Dream of inspiring our community💭? Come FRINGE with us! Submissions open February 17th!🔔 Dance, music, visual art, circus & everything (and anything!) in between are welcome at FRINGE! 🎭🤖🧑🏽‍🎨👨🏿‍🎤🩰🪩🎨 Have questions 🙋🏿⁉️ We’ve got you. Join us for a FREE Fringe 101 Webinar on January 28th & ask all of your burning questions. Register at the link below: tinyurl.com/Fringe26Webinar 👯: AYUK, Cat + The Coyote @cat_and_the_coyote 📸: Keith Bullis Photography @kbullis

⏰ONE MONTH UNTIL SUBMISSIONS OPEN‼️ 👋🏽HEY ARTISTS! YEAH, YOU.😉 We wanna see 👀YOUR SHOW at Fringe ’26! We’re the largest multi-disciplinary performing arts festival in NYS, which means ALL genres are welcome—music, dance, theater, comedy, circus, spoken word, and anything in between. 🎭🎶💃🏽🎨 Save these dates: 🗓️👇 1️⃣ Fringe 101 Webinar| Jan 28 🧑🏿‍💻 FREE webinar to learn everything you need to know about performing at the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival & ask your burning🔥questions. 👉🏽 Link below to register: tinyurl.com/Fringe26Webinar 2️⃣ Submissions OPEN | Feb 17🚨🚨🚨🚨 ⚡️ FREE to apply & you’ll be able to submit to all 39+ of our venues around Rochester!⚡️ Questions? Unsure if your idea “fits”? (It does.) 📥 Send us a DM-we’re here to support our artists! 🎥 Launch Creative Studio @launchcreative.studio 👯‍♂️The Grachel Behalke Dance Co. @grachelbehalkeedanceco ⚡️The School of the Arts @rcsdsota #rocfringe26 #eslrochesterfringefestival #rochesterny #fringefestival

🫵🏽Do YOU want to perform at Fringe ‘26⁉️ 💥Here are the key dates to add to your calendar…like, right now!🗓️ 1️⃣Rochester Fringe 101: January 28 🧑🏿‍💻Free webinar *Sign up now at the link in bio! 2️⃣Submissions Open: February 17 ☄️It’s go time! *Register at the link in bio! All events are ✨FREE✨ to attend & it is always ⚡️FREE⚡️to apply! Shoot us a DM with any questions or for more deets📥 . . 👯‍♀️Les Kif-Kif Sisters, The Returns Department 📸Alyssa Marzolf DeWitt 🎙️The GateSwingers Big Band, JCC 📸David Schiffhauer 🩰Petals In The Concrete, Strangebird Brewing 📸Erich Camping

Thank you, Rochester, for voting the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival “Best Arts Event” for the third year in a row!🧡 We promise to continue provide our community with access to the arts & we have so much magic in store for 2026 🌟 A huge thank you to CITY @roccitymag for putting on a dazzling awards party & for shining a spotlight on so many incredible organizations, small businesses & members of our community!🫶

It Takes a City to Raise a Fringe🎪. This September downtown Rochester buzzed with creative energy! Our community needed the Fringe, and the Fringe came through🎨🕺🏾🎸. Rochester has made the Fringe the largest multi-disciplinary performing arts festival in the State of New York! And, The New York Times has named us "one of the country's more prominent multi-disciplinary events!" The non-profit Rochester Fringe Festival is only possible because of the support of thousands of people in our community who put on shows🎭, buy tickets🎟️, volunteer their time🙋🏿, donate🤍, or work behind the scenes🔨. This year, we are so very excited to announce that we have embarked upon our first-ever Comprehensive Campaign! This includes funds to keep the festival accessible — and the purchase of our Spiegeltent! We invite you to join us in his effort! Today, we need your support. Consider a year-end gift of any amount to ensure the Fringe can continue to serve artists, venues, audience, and the community. Click the link below to donate🧡: rochesterfringe.com/donate 1️⃣ Show: Sphere by eVenti Vertical - Photographer: Keith Bullis - Lighting design recreated by Emily Stork 2️⃣ Show: Fringe Street Beat - Photographer: Kat Kuo 3️⃣ Show: Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out - Photographer: John Schlia - Lighting design by Emily Stork 4️⃣ Show: Gospel Sunday - Photographer: Erich Camping - Lighting design by Emily Stork

☎️✨ Calling all unique spaces! The ESL Rochester Fringe Festival is now accepting applications for NEW VENUES for our 2026 season‼️ Whether you have a cozy nook 🛖, a grand hall 🏯, or something truly out-of-the-box 🏰, we want to hear from you! 🏛️ 🏙️ Join us in providing arts access 🎼 to our community and help us create unforgettable experiences! 🎭 INTERESTED⁉️ Click the link below, send us a DM or email info@rochesterfringe.com 📫 🌟APPLICATION: tinyurl.com/2026FringeVenue New venue applications will be open until Jan 14th 🗓️ 🎥: Krit Upra, Launch Creative Studio #rochesterny #eslrochesterfringefestival

This Giving Tuesday, help us keep the arts accessible for everyone in Rochester. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival is dedicated to uplifting our community, creating opportunities for artists and ensuring that creativity is something everyone can experience. Your support provides access to the arts and makes the magic of Fringe possible.✨ Join us by contributing at the link below & invest in the arts in our community. 🎭 🧡Donate here: rochesterfringe.com/donate #GivingTuesday #RochesterNY #ESLRochesterFringeFestival #SupportTheArts Videographer: Launch Creative Studio Lighting Design: Emily Stork

The 2025 Lillian Fairchild Award is presented to our CEO and Founding Festival Producer, Erica Fee, for the creation of the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival, through which diverse residents of our region, regardless of background or income level, can come together to experience the joy, surprise, and profundity of the arts.  The Lillian Fairchild Award was established in 1924 in honor of artist and poet Lillian Fairchild (1878–1910). The annual award bestowed by the University of Rochester's Department of English celebrates a Rochester resident who has produced “the most meritorious and praiseworthy creation of art, poetry, or literature of the imagination” within the past 12 months. This year marks the 101st year of the award, which was presented by Katherine Mannheimer, Chair of the University of Rochester’s English Department, and Douglas Fisher, a descendant of Lillian Fairchild. This distinguished recognition underscores Erica’s exceptional leadership and the lasting impact she has made on the cultural vitality of our region. Please join us in celebrating Erica’s remarkable contributions to the Rochester community and beyond. @MsEricaFee @UofR

☎️✨ Calling all unique spaces! The ESL Rochester Fringe Festival is now accepting applications for NEW VENUES for our 2026 season‼️ Whether you have a cozy nook 🛖, a grand hall 🏯, or something truly out-of-the-box 🏰, we want to hear from you! 🏛️ 🏙️ Join us in providing arts access 🎼 to our community and help us create unforgettable experiences! 🎭 INTERESTED⁉️ Click the link below, send us a DM or email info@rochesterfringe.com 📫 🌟APPLICATION: tinyurl.com/2026FringeVenue New venue applications will be open until Jan 14th 🗓️ 🎥: Krit Upra, Launch Creative Studio #rochesterny #eslrochesterfringefestival #rochesterny

Today is Justin L. Vigdor Day, officially proclaimed by Monroe County and the City of Rochester in honor of the late Justin L. Vigdor. This day recognizes his remarkable legacy of leadership, vision, and service to our community—including his pivotal role as the founding board chairman of the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival. Though we miss him deeply, his spirit, generosity, and lasting impact continue to inspire Rochester and all who had the privilege of knowing him.

IHHE faculty member Rose Pasquarello Beauchamp co-directed the EcoVibes show at the Rochester Fringe Festival @RochesterFringe. EcoVibes explored the changing climate in our region through dance, music, visual art, and participatory creativity.