The 24th annual Minnesota Fringe Festival, one of the largest performing arts festivals in the Midwest, takes place August 1-11, and features 850 storytelling, comedy, drama, music, opera and dance performances by 167 companies. Performing groups come from Minnesota as well as from across the country. Executive Director Dawn Bentley says, “The festival creates a gateway for audiences to explore theater, experiment with new genres, and expand notions of what local stages have to offer. Accessibility services ensure Fringe’s gateway is inviting and available to all patrons, regardless of ability.”
New this year: Family Fringe will include two relaxed performances especially tailored for patrons affected by autism or those with sensory-processing sensitivities. Director Bentley says Minnesota is the first Fringe Festival to offer relaxed performances.
Fringe-managed Festival and Family Fringe venues are all physically accessible to patrons with mobility disabilities. (Independently produced shows vary by venue.) See individual venue pages for specific information on accessible entrance doors and parking.
The Fringe Festival offers free American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting, Audio Description (AD), Open Captioning (OC) and large print electronic script copies at select shows throughout the festival. The list of accessible performances is located on the Fringe Festival website.
Fringe Festival staff will assist patrons self-identifying with a disability with local transportation costs to any venue in either festival in order to attend a show where ASL or AD services are being provided. Please indicate your needs by contacting staff at least 24 hours prior to the show time so they can make arrangements.
If you have questions about Fringe accessibility or to request reservation/transportation assistance, please contact access@fringefestival.org.