Central Florida residents are getting ready for the 31st Annual Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival, taking place from May 17th to May 30th at Orlando’s Loch Haven Park. Orlando Fringe is the longest-running theatre festival of its kind in the United States, according to organizers. World Fringe Congress 2022 will also be taking place during the festival, from May 19th to May 23rd, at the Orlando Science Center. The World Fringe Congress is a meeting of Fringe producers, managers, directors, and leaders, aiming to strengthen the World Fringe sector through learning and sharing. Over 70 delegates are attending from Australia, Iceland, Sweden, Fiji, the UK, Canada, and more.
This year, attendees will see some new changes, including a new color venue – the Teal Venue. The Teal Venue will be in a new venue, The Renaissance Theatre, located on the corner of Orange and Princeton at 415 E Princeton St Orlando, FL 32803. The Purple and Teal Venues will be at the Renaissance Theatre, and there will be no Red Venue this year.
Visual Fringe, the visual art portion of the festival, is getting its own space in the Patron’s Room at Orlando Shakes, the former Purple Venue. In addition to viewing the art gallery at Visual Fringe, festival-goers can participate in workshops, classes, crafts, demonstrations, and other events. Patrons can purchase every piece of art seen at the festival, and 100% of art sales goes back to the artists. Patrons can buy community artwork through a vending machine by Vexed Vending and can enjoy various art events such as pet portraits or a short film screening.
The BYOV or “Bring Your Own Venue” program is back and thriving at Orlando Fringe this year. BYOVs are area businesses that offer performances in their buildings. They are included in the festival yet are not managed by the festival. This year, the BYOVs at Fringe will feature 20 different shows at The Abbey on Eola Drive, Stardust Lounge on Central Blvd., and Savoy on Orange Avenue. Check out the event schedule here.
Last year Fringe introduced party pods, and they also make their return this year renamed as cabanas. Patrons with a cabana will have a dedicated tent on the lawn all day with seating, complimentary drinks, and bar service. There are a limited number of cabanas, so patrons must reserve theirs in advance.
This year, Fringe has partnered with Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company to bring a White Stout brewed especially for the 2022 Fringe Festival called Curtains Up White Stout, available on draft or in a can throughout the festival grounds.
Orlando Fringe has teamed up with GoPeagus to provide shuttle buses for patrons. The shuttle buses will run Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays with a bus route covering The Renaissance Theatre, Savoy, Comfort Suites, Ivanhoe Brewing, and the Lake Highland overflow parking lot. We also have another bus route that will cover the Abbey and Stardust Lounge. As a part of the Art on Wheels program, artists were able to submit artwork for the Orlando Fringe bus wrap. The colorful canvas will be revealed on the first day of the festival.
An overflow parking lot at Lake Highland was added to allow Fringe to accommodate more patrons who want to enjoy the festival. Since the festival continues to grow each year, organizers need more parking due to the lack of public transportation in Orlando. Complimentary parking is available at 1203 Alden Road.
The festival’s official opening, May 17th at 7:00pm, will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the outdoor stage, followed by the National and International artists’ teaser show. This will feature 2-minute live teaser performances for touring shows representing five countries and over twenty states.
If you cannot make the in-person festival, Fringe announced the return of Digifringe. From June 3rd through June 17th, digital versions of some of the shows in the festival-managed venues will be recorded and available worldwide. A $1 DigiFringe button will be required to view the online performances.
