ABOUT | ElginFringeFestival

The mission of the Elgin Fringe Festival is to encourage bold artistic experimentation and innovation by providing an accessible, affordable experience for both artists and audiences alike.

WHAT IS FRINGE???

Fringe Festivals focus on performing arts but also include film, visual art, music, and other types of art forms. Performances take place in downtown areas in cafes, theaters, storefronts, and a variety of other locations. The first Fringe Festival started in 1947 in Edinburgh, Scotland, as an alternative festival that played concurrently with the Edinburgh International Festival. There are more than 20 fringe festivals throughout the United States with more in Canada and Europe.

WHERE IS FRINGE???

Downtown Elgin is a prime location for a fringe festival due to its urban feel and proximity to Chicago. Now headed into our 9th year, the Elgin Fringe Festival is an inclusive and dynamic experience. We are a lottery system, uncurated, uncensored, and 100% of our ticket sales go back to the artists! Programming includes our Family Fringe Day, a day filled with games, performances, and art projects that is free and open to the public, our ever-growing visual art component hosted at Side Street Studio Arts, aka Fringe Central, as well as a live music component that highlights the juggernaut of a music scene Elgin has to offer. The city's ever-evolving art scene, ease of walkability, and diverse community are ingredients for a highly needed and sought-after Fringe Festival.

What is Side Street Studio Arts???

Side Street Studio Arts is an arts non-profit in Elgin, IL. Side Street Studio Arts was founded in 2013 as an outlet for the Elgin arts scene. Side Street provides educational and creative resources and an inclusive space, run by artists. Side Street’s mission is to support the artist and artistic journey through collaboration. Side Street has been producing the Elgin Fringe Festival for the past 9 years.

To learn more about Side Street Studio Arts please click here.