‘So many shows’: Fringe Festival returns to Saskatoon

(Hallee Mandryk/CTV News)

For more than 35 years, the Fringe Festival has annually provided an opportunity to showcase the unique local artists of Saskatoon.

“People love to support art that means something to them. And the Fringe Festival is where you see the weird and wonderful, and where you see the shows that you’re not going to see on a main stage, Broadway shows that you’re not even going to see on the main stages here in Saskatoon,” Cody Brayshaw, an artist with the festival, said.

Brayshaw has been a longtime volunteer with Fringe Fest, but this year he has a hand in one of the productions titled “The Moonwalkers”.

“It’s kind of a sci-fi mixed with drama, comedy, and physical theater show. It’s about a lot of emotion and a lot of what it means to be on your last day,” Brayshaw said.

While Fringe Fest showcases a variety of artists, those in the theater often see a particular spotlight during the event.

“The highlights are always the shows. There are so many shows , 23 of them. It’s a lottery-based system, so we never know what we’re going to get. And we don’t choose them, they choose us. And this year, we have got a lineup of heavy hitters,” Philippa Williams, the festival manager, said.

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The festival runs from July 31 to Aug. 9, with programming scheduled for each day. Over the weekend, Fringe Fest added 62 vendors down Broadway Avenue as “Broadway Days” began.

“This event feels so successful because everybody, whether it’s our neighbours, our local business partners, food vendors, artisan vendors, or volunteers, everyone invests in it equally. It doesn’t feel like we’re doing anything alone,” Williams said.

The festival has gone through a lot of change since its inception in 1989 (Williams says some argue the first Fringe was in 1990). Changes in venues, finances, leadership, and the overall changes of Saskatoon have all impacted the festival at times.

But Williams shared that these changes have not altered the heart of the festival.

“When we first changed our site about five years ago due to financial issues, some people weren’t on board with it. But we’ve slowly swayed public opinion... I just have so many people come up to us and tell us how much they were enjoying the event, how friendly and welcoming it felt,” Williams said.

Many of the volunteers who help make the festival possible have been involved for many years. While the roles may change, Brayshaw shared that a collective support of the artistic community keeps folks coming back.

“I still want to come out and help fold the chairs every night and help set up every morning. It’s just such a great feeling to be here, and all of the people here are so supportive of just helping us be artists,” Brayshaw said.