First Annual San Diego Fringe Festival Kicks Off Today

The city of San Diego's performing arts scene will be forever changed with the inclusion of the First Annual San Diego Fringe Festival - held today, July 1 - 7, 2013. Breathing new life and inspiration into the performing arts community, producer Kevin Charles Patterson (director of the non-profit arts organization) has led the efforts to bring local, national, and International Artists together for a week of performances including; theatre, dance, music, puppetry, cabaret, cirque, comedy, multi-media presentations and more!

Over 50 artists from San Diego, and around the globe will present performances at 10th Avenue Theatre and Arts Centre, Space 4 Art, Seaport Village and the NewSchool of Architecture + Design, along with other less traditional venues around town.

Modeled after the original Edinburgh Fringe Festival - the largest arts festival in the world, San Diego Fringe Festival promises tobe the most engaging, electric and exciting arts festival in Southern California. And how appropriate for the newest Fringe Festival to land in San Diego, Edinburgh's sister city!

Festival producer Kevin Charles Patterson shares, "We are so excited for the future of this festival. With having an arts platform like this in one of the country's leading travel destinations, we've got a lot of potential for fantastic Fringe-ness!! And,with the San Diego Fringe Festival being sandwiched between the Hollywood Fringe Festival and Santa Cruz Fringe Festival for atour, we've got an extra layer of oomph for the artists. Producers and directors I've met at the World Fringe Congress in Scotland,and at the United States Association of Fringe Festivals in Indiana, have been very helpful and encouraging. We are all thrilled about San Diego being the newest Fringe Festival in the United States!"

Collaborating with local arts organizations contACT ARTS, Circle Circle dot dot, Actors Alliance of San Diego, the East VillageAssociation and businesses throughout town, the organizers of the Fringe Festival have created an event that is designed to encourage and assist venues and artists to be as successful as possible by providing scheduling, programming, funding,ticketing services, marketing, publicity and facilitating the matching of artists with venues.

With more than half of the performing artists coming from San Diego, coupled with the energy of international performers, the first week of July will never be the same in San Diego again!