Chicago Fringe Festival Announces 2018 Dates and Lottery For Performers

The Chicago Fringe Festival, announced its performance dates for 2018, August 30 - September 3, as well as the lottery dates for Festival participation beginning Friday, Jan. 19 at 12 p.m. The Chicago Fringe Festival is an non-juried festival with participants entering the lottery at www.ChicagoFringe.org.

The Lottery Party, to be held in early March, is the gathering where individuals and organizations learn if they will participate in the 2018 Fringe Festival. The Lottery Party is free and open to the public and includes the drawing via bingo, drinks and food. Additional details on The Lottery Party will be announced at a later date.

The 2018 Fringe Festival is different from previous Chicago Fringe Festivals as it will be held over one weekend and the number of total performers will be 24 rather than 50, as in previous years. The Chicago Fringe Festival weekend stills include a variety of performances, the return of Kids Fringe and special events.

"The Festival staff and board are always looking at ways to improve the Chicago Fringe Festival experience for performers, patrons and volunteers," said Executive Director Anne Cauley. "As we prepare for our 10th Anniversary in 2019, we want to focus on building a more sustainable festival structure. By returning to our roots as a one-weekend festival, we will be able to refocus on building our community, to enhance the festival atmosphere and to explore exciting new ideas that our team has never had the capacity to take on. We look forward to sharing this new take on a Chicago-style fringe this fall."

The Chicago Fringe Festival 2018 returns to Jefferson Park for its ninth presenting year. The Festival includes comedies, dramas, dance pieces, musicals, performance art and the unclassifiable. This is an uncensored, no-holds barred performance event that returns 100% of ticket sales to the artists. In their first eight years, they have returned almost $240,000 to artists.

The Chicago Fringe Festival, now in its ninth year, is a member of the Fringe Festival movement and is one of many festivals held throughout the world. Chicago Fringe produces an annual performing arts festival devoted to celebrating an inclusive community of adventurous artists, volunteers, and patrons.