Festival season is right around the corner in nearby London, Ontario, and the ever-popular London Fringe Festival — a unique exhibition of theater, visual arts, film and the spoken word — is set to take place from June 6-17 at various London locations.
In 1998, a group of theater-loving, arts-minded friends came together with the belief that a Fringe Festival would be an excellent addition to the arts scene in London. Their vision was to create a platform where artists and audiences would come together to share arts experiences. Organizing and planning for the first festival began in 1998 when the London Fringe became members of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals. In 1999, the London Fringe acquired nonprofit and charitable status and the first London Fringe Festival premiered in 2000.
Throughout this unique festival, audiences are eagerly going between several different theater locations, all within easy walking distance of one another, and participating performers are chatting up the lines before the shows. The Fringe creates a friendly, vibrant atmosphere where people gather to enjoy and celebrate the arts. It is definitely something that you will want to experience for yourself.
The Fringe Festival also involves risks; artists take the chance that you will appreciate their show, and audiences gamble that a show is worth the ticket price. It’s like rolling the dice — you just never know what the roll will be. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. That’s the gamble and the fun.
For more information on the London Fringe Festival, please visit www.londonfringe.ca. And, for helpful information on planning a quick getaway to London, visit www.londontourism.ca.
