The Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival is a 13 day annual arts festival held during the month of May in Orlando

Orlando, Florida

Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...

, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

. The festival includes theater, music, dance, and art. It was the first American Fringe Festival and has now grown to be one of the largest in the United States. As the oldest US Fringe Festival, they are celebrating 21 years in 2012, a milestone for the Central Florida area.

The Orlando Fringe is where community, creativity and culture connect. Orlando Fringe has been named "Best Festival" for nine consecutive years in Orlando and has won many numerous local and regional awards and is celebrated as "the most unique cultural event in Florida".

History

The festival was created in 1991 by Terry Olson and held in downtown Orlando. Most of the venues were store fronts, that were reconverted into performance spaces. The spaces were made specifically for the festival. This format continued until 2004 when the festivals events were split between downtown Orlando and Loch Haven Park. Proving to be successful, in 2005 the festival was moved to the Loch Haven Park indefinitely where it has remained to this day. Professional indoor theatres are used at the Shakespeare Theatre and Rep Theatre, which also house a visual component, which is a professioanally curated art show. An outdoor stage is found in the middle of the park, which also houses various vendors, Kids Fringe, and a free outdoor stage. The Orlando Fringe is the largest and oldest Fringe Festival in the United States. It is now held for 12 consecutive days in May, leading up to Memorial Day. Orlando Fringe has had several accolades including being voted the Best of Orlando, Best Festival in the Southeast, and Best Festival in Orlando by the Orlando Sentinel, Orlando Weekly, and Watermark. Orlando Fringe is a 501 C3, non-profit which gives 100 percent of all proceeds back to artists. Upwards to 25,000 partons attend the annual festival. Artists from all over the world descend on Orlando for the opportunity to perform. The 21st Annual Orlando Fringe will be held May 16-28, 2012.

External links

• Official Site- History, News Updates, and Contact Information.