Fringe Festival guide: Variety of shows in final week

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The 13th annual Rochester Fringe Festival is underway, featuring more than 250 different productions and 650 total shows.

The festival is the largest multidisciplinary performing arts festival in New York State and is among the largest Fringe Festivals in the country. It features all kinds of acts including comedy, theatre, dance, music, film, magic, and interactive shows.

The 12-day festival runs through Saturday, Sept. 21. The Spiegeltent at Main and Gibbs streets is just one of the more than 30 venues that will hold shows. Some others include The Little Theatre, Garth Fagan Dance Studio, The Hochstein School, and Writers & Books. You can see the complete list of shows, get tickets, or browse for free shows here. Here’s what to know:

When is the annual Street Beat?

Street Beat, the annual high-energy breakdancing competition, is returning to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park. The free performance will take place on Saturday, Sept. 21, the final day of the festival.

Dancers from Rochester and beyond will compete on three-on-three teams for the grand prize of $1,200. DJ ha-MEEN will bring the beats to the floor. The preliminary rounds are from 1 to 3:30 p.m. and the finals are from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

What are some of the other acts?

The world famous Architects of Air are making their Rochester Fringe Festival debut. They’ll perform multiple shows at One Fringe Place at the corner of Main and Gibbs streets. Tickets are $7 and you can see the schedule here.

There will also be the world premiere of Cirque du Fringe: Variete. It will feature comedy and thrilling feats at One Fringe Place. There will be trapeze, roller-skaters, unicycles, a world-renowned basketball juggler, a giant chicken, and more. You can get tickets and see show times here.

There will be plenty of family-friendly activities at the annual Free Kids Day on Saturday, Sept. 21. Activities will include pumpkin painting, chalk art, and disco for kids.