Marionette production 'A Penny A Sketch' will be one of the featured acts at the 2023 Nanaimo Fringe Festival. (Nanaimo Fringe Festival's Facebook page)

By Jordan Davidson

fringe benefits

Nanaimo Fringe Festival ready to kick-off for 2023

Aug 10, 2023 | 5:26 AM

NANAIMO — It’s the time of the year when the mid-Island gets a little festive, as the Nanaimo Fringe Festival is back for its 13th year.

Modelled after the Edinburgh Festival Fringe which first started in 1947, this annual event takes place from Aug. 10-20 all over Nanaimo’s Old City Quarter.

Tamara McCarthy, artistic producer with Pacific Coast Stage Co., the organization behind the festival, said they have an exciting new outdoor stage ready for this year.

“Our new outdoor venue is at Black Rabbit Kitchen (321 Selby St.), and that’s where our Fringe beer garden will also be. Also new this year we’ve got some live music happening at Black Rabbit in between the theatre shows on Friday to Sunday.”

This year features 11 original shows, four stand-up comedians and a variety of talented openers, live music, karaoke, and a silent disco.

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Performers will be from all over Vancouver Island, as well as some groups from Washington D.C. and San Fransisco.

A $5 festival button must be purchased to see any of the shows, and McCarthy said proceeds from the button sales go directly to operational costs.

“It goes directly to the administrative costs of operating this festival. The ticket money goes to the artists. Those tickets are $16, and that’s for an individual ticket. You can also get our amazing five-show punch pass, which is $60…and with that, you can see five different shows or you can bring a friend and see a couple of shows.”

The 2022 Nanaimo Fringe Festival had a bit of a rocky start when around $7,000 worth of rented equipment was stolen from their storage container prior to the festival beginning.

“We were able to recoup those losses with incredible support from the community who provided donations on a GoFundMe initiative,” said McCarthy. “Which was incredible and allowed the festival to continue, cause of course, it was on the eve of the opening, so it was terrible timing.”

Their free preview night and festival kick-off takes place on Thursday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Port Theatre main stage, featuring short teasers of each show.

But McCarthy said the free preview night is already almost sold out.

“It’s free except for the festival button… there’s a few tickets left, you can book those online or if it shows that it’s sold out, we will be taking a line at the door on a waitlist because sometimes people don’t show up and you can still possibly get in.”

Tickets and festival passes will be available at their ‘hub’ booth located on Fitzwilliam St. at the start of the Old City Quarter from 11 a.m. until around 5 p.m. during the festival, except for Mondays.

Stage shows will once again take place primarily inside the Port Theatre and the OV Arts Centre.

More information can be found at nanaimofringe.com.

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow