After a successful debut last fall, Elgin Fringe Festival returns this weekend with even more artists, performances and activities than before.
“When we started the Fringe Festival last year, it was absolutely with the intention of having it as an annual event as long as the public would have it,” said Erin Rehberg, artistic director of the festival. “We wanted to work very hard to make sure it would become a mainstay in downtown Elgin.”
Elgin Fringe Festival runs from Friday-Sunday in downtown Elgin. Various venues serve as performance and workshop spaces throughout the four-day event. Among those is Blue Box Cafe, 176 E. Chicago St.; Eastern Groove Studio, 221 E. Chicago St.; Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St.; Elgin Public House, 219 E. Chicago St.; Imago, 216 Prairie St.; Next Door Theater, 15 1/2 Ziegler St.; and Martini Room, 161 E. Chicago St.
More than 120 performances were scheduled as of press time, with additional ones added each day, Rehberg said. More than 30 of those groups are performing more than once. Due in part to the spur-of-the-moment nature of the fringe festival, the total number of artists participating won’t be known until the event is over, she said. Last year, it was in the hundreds.
Many aspects of the festival are similar to last year — artists get to keep 100 percent of their profits, venues are all within walking distance of each other downtown, and all of the venues are donated spaces.
“Which is the only way we could keep the fringe festival going,” Rehberg said of the donated space.
Along with several local artists, the festival expands this year with artists coming from cities including Nashville and New York City, and as far away as England. Additional workshops on a variety of topics have also been scheduled, Rehberg said.
“We wanted to expand the amount of free things you could do,” she said.
For the one-time purchase of the $3 Fringe Button, there are numerous performances and workshops people can attend, she said. There are some performances and activities that do charge an additional $5 or $10, all of which the artists keep.
“It allows somebody to try something they might not have if they had to pay $30 for a ticket, parking and go into the city,” Rehberg said.
The price of the $3 Fringe Button pays for the cost of festival, everything from marketing to tech crews, she said.
“It’s the button that really supports the event itself,” Rehberg said.
Buttons and tickets can be purchased online, as well as at Fringe Central, which opened Sept. 12. Located at Side Street Studio Arts,15 Ziegler Court, Fringe Central serves as a hub where people can ask questions and get information about the festival. Last year, many artists hung out at Fringe Central between performances.
Those interested in attending events where tickets are required are encouraged to purchase them in advance, as last year some performances sold out early. Among those requiring a ticket in addition to the Fringe Button is Elgin-based Watch City, a seven-piece collective showcasing various elements of hip-hop culture.
Each night the group will perform, highlighting a different aspect, coming together to “make really exciting, entertaining, thoughtful music,” Rehberg said. Each performance will be different, and audience members can purchase individual tickets for $5 each or a pass for all four for $15, she said.
The full schedule of performances, workshops and ticket prices is listed on the festival website at www.elginfringefestival.com.
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Along with serving as an information and ticket hub, Fringe Central will also host the work of visual artists that will be on display throughout the fest.
“We have doubled the number of visual artists that are displaying work,” Rehberg said.
Pieces on display include painting, sculpture, illustration and video work, she said. The works will be available for purchase, with 100 percent of the money going to the artists.
“Which is very rare for visual arts,” Rehberg said. “Normally a commission structure is in place.”
Also new this year is Go-Go Fringe, which will allow for impromptu performances — including the avant-garde — throughout downtown.
“One of the points of feedback we had from last year was ‘we wish there was even more stuff on the street between venues as we travel from place to place,'” Rehberg said.
One of the groups that will likely take advantage of Go-Go Fringe is Nashville-based Titterglitz, a dance company that stresses you don’t have to have dance experience to get moving. The group will hold workshops during the festival, and participants can join in later performances that will be held on an impromptu, flash moblike basis announced on Facebook.
“You have to fly by the seat of your pants to make this work,” Rehberg said. “Just be real adaptable and have fun with it.”
Performances and workshops that are appropriate for all ages are noted on the festival website, but there is also a whole day of free activities dedicated children and parents on Saturday. Family Fringe performances begin at 11 a.m. in Carleton Rogers Park, 55 N. Spring St.
“All of those artists performing in Family Fringe have donated their performances, which is pretty wonderful,” Rehberg said.
All of the festival workshops are open to the public, with the $3 Fringe Button required for participation. Donations are accepted if participants wish to give. A variety of topics will be taught, including different elements of clowning — taught by working clowns. Other workshops include movement, tai chi, improv and belly dancing.
“It runs the gamut with a lot of different workshops that people can get into and stick their toe in and see if they fall in love,” Rehberg said. “That’s fringe in general. Just that short burst of excitement. You can try something out without spending a lot of money, but also not spending a lot of time.”
Kathy Cichon is a freelance writer.
Elgin Fringe Festival
When: Friday- Sunday
Where: Downtown Elgin, various venues
Tickets: $3 Fringe Button, $5-$10 for some shows. $50 Festival Pass
Information: www.elginfringefestival.com