New York State’s largest performing arts festival, Rochester Fringe, this festival will take place from September 9-20 across the city. Hosted by ESL, a nonprofit organization with the goal of giving public access to art and platforms to performers and venues, Rochester Fringe is a non-curated collection of shows around Rochester.
Fringe will feature performances of music, dance, theater, comedy fine arts and more, with over 650 performances will take place over the 12-day festival.
Fringe encourages guests to support their favorite acts and venues, however, it’s also the perfect time to see something new. Tickets for all shows are available for purchase at rochesterfingefest.com.
39 venues in the city of Rochester will hold these performances including:
Aerial Arts of Rochester is a circus arts training school offering a variety of alternative fitness and dance classes using apparatuses such as the trapeze and silk fabrics. The venue also hosts many showcases and themed productions throughout the year.
Located in the heart of Downtown along the west bank of the Genesee River between Main and Andrews Streets, the site is the largest of the 13 ROC the Riverway projects. The redesigned plaza maximizes visibility and scenic views of the Genesee River and improves linkages through the plaza to create a dynamic pedestrian network.
Bop Shop Records is an independently owned record store that specializes in fine-condition vinyl records and CDs. Owner Tom Kohn has made Bop Shop Records what it is since 1982. This venue is a listening room for music reminiscent of NPR’s Tiny Desk concerts.
4. CenterStage Theatre at the JCC
CenterStage is a professional theatre company at the Jewish Community Center in Brighton; offering a 300-seat indoor Hart Theater and a more intimate and flexible indoor Ballroom Stage for performances. There is plenty of free parking and both venues are fully accessible. Concession snacks are available.
5. Central Library of Rochester
The Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County consists of two buildings, the Rundel Memorial Library building, opened in 1936, and the Bausch & Lomb Public Library Building, opened in 1997. Located in the heart of downtown Rochester, at 115 South Avenue, the library offers the residents of the city and county a large collection of print and electronic books and magazines, music, movies, and more.
6. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park: The Bowl
In the winter, it is an outdoor ice-skating rink. In the warmer months, the ice rink doubles as a reflecting pool equipped with three fountains. The colorful playground provides a water spray park to cool children off from the summer heat. The Bowl offers a great place for concerts and events.
Long regarded as one of the world’s premier schools of music, the Eastman School of Music offers a uniquely inspiring array of artistic, scholarly, and creative opportunities. Situated in the heart of downtown Rochester, the home of the world-renowned Rochester Philharmonic, Eastman’s stellar faculty, enduring legacy and entrepreneurial edge place our students at the spark point where great music is made to matter.
The Focus Theater is a performance venue and training center for Rochester’s best artistic minds. The Focus is excited to showcase its unique space in the historic Sibley Building on Main Street. We provide a welcoming and accessible environment where individuals of diverse backgrounds can come together to learn new skills, grow as performers, and create world-class entertainment.
Garth Fagan Dance is the region’s leading artist-led, predominately Black cultural institution that develops young dancers, especially those of color. The company has recently been welcomed into the library of Congress archives and designated a 20th century dance treasure, with Garth acclaimed as the longest-running Black choreographer on Broadway for his work on Disney’s The Lion King. GFD is headquartered in a 10,008-square-foot space of a 100+-year-old building downtown.
10. Genesee Valley Park: Waterways Center
Genesee Waterways Center offers a wide array of paddling and rowing activities for residents and visitors, including flat water kayaking and canoeing, whitewater paddling, and recreational and competitive rowing. It offers these opportunities through rentals, classes, camps, events and outings, customized group experiences, and more.
11. George Eastman Museum: Dryden Theatre
The George Eastman Museum is the world’s leading museum of photography and motion pictures and the National Historic Landmark home and gardens of the father of popular photography. Located in Rochester’s cultural district, the museum offers a variety of exhibitions of historic and contemporary photographs, as well as displays that chronicle the personal and professional lives of George Eastman.
The Harley School is a caring, close-knit independent community where students discover their passions, find joy in learning, and prepare for an ever-evolving world. It nurtures confident explorers who value imagination, tackle challenges, and embrace mistakes as fuel for growth. Its academic program fosters critical thinking, genuine understanding, and multiple perspectives through hands-on, project-based learning. Founded in 1917, its college preparatory program serves students in Nursery-Grade 12.
Dedicated to providing access to opportunity, The Hochstein School is a vibrant community of musicians, dancers, and supporters who choose to come together in this historic and inspiring place to develop the ability to speak and communicate through the making of music and dance. It does this with the conviction that music nurtures, enriches, and energizes every human life.
14. La Marketa at the International Plaza
The International Plaza is an exciting, new, Latin-themed event space and marketplace. It features a variety of vendors and vending options, providing a community gathering space to celebrate and build on the tremendous arts and cultural assets of the surrounding neighborhood.
15. Java’s Café
Located on Gibbs Street in downtown Rochester, Java’s Cafe has a unique atmosphere— riddled with artwork and innate personality. Java’s is a great place to relax, converse, and find inspiration. You can also enjoy some of the best locally roasted coffee and organic teas Rochester has to offer.
16. Joseph Avenue Arts & Culture Alliance
Joseph Avenue Arts and Culture Alliance presents its Rochester Fringe Festival in the Lincoln Branch Library. Housing a bright and spacious Children’s Room, a dedicated Community Room for events, a comfortably furnished “Teen Spot” for youth aged 13 -17, private study areas, and the Toy Library.
17. Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre
Rochester’s preeminent performance space—part of Eastman School of Music—is the prestigious venue for Chelsea Handler.
The Little Theatre in Rochester, commonly known as “The Little,” is a movie theatre on historic East Avenue in downtown Rochester and a modest non-profit multiplex specializing in art film, including independent and foreign productions outside the United States.
A visit to the Memorial Art Gallery is a journey through more than 5,000 years of art history. From the relics of antiquity to works in the vanguard of contemporary practice, MAG’s museum offers a panorama of the world’s art. Our 14-acre campus is a spectacular public art space that is a popular destination for Rochesterians and out-of-town visitors alike.
20. MuCCC
The MuCCC Theater is an all-volunteer, 80 seat black box theater that presents theater and performance which reflects the diversity of the Rochester community. MuCCC is housed in a repurposed 19th century Baptist Mission.
MuCC will host Thirteen Ways a theater show which was written by Rochester Playright Maria Brand.
21. Parcel 5
Parcel 5 is a prominent open green space located in the heart of Downtown Rochester on East Main Street, in the city’s Center City district.
Since 2016, PCMH has produced an impressive blend of local, regional, national & international music & art that represents many scenes, cultures and subcultures.
City Art Space is RIT’s only off-campus art venue in downtown Rochester, free and open to the public, where community engagement flows through art and design exhibitions, events and educational programming.
24. ROC Cinema
Rochester’s premier dine-in movie theater and event space. Rochester’s oldest movie theater built in 1914 and recently renovated in 2021. Specializing in movies, live events/performances, and private events. Full kitchen and bar on the premises. Hearing Loop available.
25. Roc City Circus
Ladies & Gentleman! Boys, Girls, and Non-Binary Pals! It’s time to join the circus! Inside the Big Top you’ll find Western New York’s only Flying Trapeze. You can also try out other Circus Aerial classes as well as the viral sensation, Bungee Fitness. Everyone is welcome and no prior experience is necessary. The venue offers monthly circus shows and birthday parties.
26. Rochester Contemporary Art Center: Side Lawn
Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo) is a venue for the exchange of ideas and a non-profit that was founded in 1977. As a center for thoughtful contemporary art RoCo provides unique encounters for audiences and extraordinary opportunities for artists.
27. Rochester Museum and Science Center: Garden of Fragrance
The RMSC is a place that provides the inspiration and tools for guests to follow their own curiosity, where they can experience new delight and wonder upon each visit or dive into specific subjects to participate in solving the deepest challenges of our times. It is a place where each learner is encouraged to follow their own unique journey.
28. Rochester Music Hall of Fame
Home location of the Rochester Music Hall of Fame and right across Gibbs Street from the Eastman School of Music.
29. The Rose Room
The Rose Room is a historic dance hall and events space in Rochester’s South Wedge Neighborhood.
30. Salena’s
A full service, 120-seat Mexican Restaurant. Several areas where performances take place including: a small party room that holds 20; A heated outdoor patio which holds 50; a bar area and the main dining room. Come see up-close and personal interactive performances!
Nestled in Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts, School of the Arts serves Rochester City students and offers traditional academics complemented by an arts-based curriculum. SOTA’s mission is “student academic, artistic and humanistic success!”
32. Spiegeltent
This year’s Spiegeltent is the historic Palais im Park from Belgium; a larger tent with stained glass windows, a velvet draped ceiling and VIP booths fit for royalty. All shows are presented round.
Host location for Pedestrian Drive-In, Gospel Sunday, Dashboard Dramas, Bushwhacked, and more. Plus, the Theatre Bar: A festive urban pop-up lounge with a magical vibe.
34. The Spirit Room
The Spirit Room is a meeting place, created by artists for artists. We are working-class misfits who seek to disrupt and subvert the inherent class and gender biases that dominate the craft cocktail culture through community engagement, live performances and radical dialogue.
The Spirit Room will host Bashiri Asad & Band an Indy Soul band.
Strangebird is a brewery and restaurant located in Rochester, New York. We hope to be a place to bring folks of all feathers together in a modern, approachable, comfortable, and accepting environment. A place where you can drink award-winning, hand-crafted beers and eat made-from-scratch food.
36. University of Rochester – The Spurrier Dance Theater
Located on the first floor of Spurrier Hall, Spurrier Dance Theater is a 170-seat sprung floor dance studio/theater. Parking will be challenging due to Meliora weekend so please allow ample time to find a spot. Parking is free in the evening. If parked in or near the Library lot, walk towards the Susan B. Anthony dorm and follow the sidewalk on the left to the entrance of Spurrier Hall. Enter on the second floor and go downstairs to the first floor to the theater, or walk down the hill and enter at the brown metal door facing the theater entrance.
37. Washington Grove
Located just east of the Cobb’s Hill Reservoir is a breathtaking, undeveloped 100-acre sanctuary filled with large oaks and wildlife in the heart of the city. Hiking trails abound and provide community members with an immersive experience among the old growth trees.
Located downtown near GEVA Theater, Washington Park is a quiet greenspace with benches that is dedicated to the veterans of the armed services. It features a beautiful monument to Abraham Lincoln. Besides being a favorite spot for lunchtime picnics, Washington Square is the home to summer concerts and various ceremonies.
39. Writers & Books
Writers & Books promotes reading and writing as lifelong activities for people of all ages and backgrounds to enrich their lives and the intellectual, social, and cultural vibrancy of their communities. The organization engages youths and adults through workshops, readings, writing residencies, and intersectional activities. Writers & Books owns and operates Ampersand Books, an in-house independent bookstore, and Gell: A Finger Lakes Creative Retreat, sited on 24 acres in Naples, New York.
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