Feature: All About The Harrisburg Fringe Festival

“Adventurous Artists Seeking Adventurous Audiences”—that’s the tagline for the 2024 Harrisburg Fringe Festival, and this reviewer cannot wait to see what this year’s Fringe has in store for its audiences! Running July 18-24, Fringe offers a variety of unique experiences ranging from the performing arts, including theatre, dance, music, comedy and more, to the visual arts. There is even a Fringe designed for families. Not sure what fringe is or how it works? Keep reading!

Fringe had its inception at the 1947 Edinburgh International Festival, when eight uninvited theatre groups performed on the fringes of the festival. Since then, Fringe has become a worldwide phenomenon. True to the Fringe ethos, the Harrisburg Fringe Festival is 100% inclusive, unjuried, and uncensored. These tenets create the unique experience that is Fringe. First, no type of art is excluded—as the website states, “if an artist considers it art, so do we.” In an effort to make Fringe as inclusive as possible, the Harrisburg Fringe Festival and 717 Arts Inc have created a space to highlight underserved artists so that “artists and patrons of any background…see themselves represented in the work showcased at the Harrisburg Fringe Festival.”

As an unjuried festival, the art on display at the Harrisburg Fringe Festival is not selected by a committee. This year every artist who applied was able to be given a slot. As the Festival continues to grow, participation will be selected by lottery. This will include an Amplified Voices Lottery. This lottery, which will take place before the general lottery, is open to artists from marginalized communities, and is created to ensure that 30% of the spots available at Fringe would be available to these artists. The use of a lottery means that both veteran artists and emerging artists have equal opportunities to present their work at the festival.

In addition to being inclusive and unjuried, Fringe is uncensored—the artists enjoy completely unrestricted artistic freedom. The goal is to allow “artists to be true to their craft and uphold their artistic integrity.” Content warnings are provided, and families are invited to spend Saturday, July 20th at Kids Fringe where families can experience performances, workshops, and interactive art.

So, now that you know what Fringe is, you may be wondering how it works. First, all audience members need to purchase a button—buttons help support the Fringe Festival, they give audience members access to the performances, and they are a great souvenir! Buttons can be purchased ahead of time at hbgfringe.com, then pick up your button at one of the venues, or at Fringe Central or Fringe Hub before you begin your Fringe adventure. Each show also requires a ticket, and all of the proceeds from ticket sales go to directly to the performers! If there’s a show you definitely want to catch, purchase your ticket online prior to the festival—seating is limited for certain venues. Visit the Fringe website to see the schedule of performances and plan your Fringe.

With 41 different shows, 104 performances, and 195 artists, there is something for everyone at Fringe! The variety of acts is incredible, and the opportunity to experience something new, different, and eye-opening is unparalleled. Don’t miss out on your chance to Fringe in 2024!