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The 2020 Fringe Fest will go on — virtually, outdoors, distanced

The month-long showcase of experimental works is looking to be even more unusual than usual is, in light of the pandemic.

Rhonda Moore, 61, performs along Vollmer Street in South Philadelphia as part of last year's Fringe Festival.
Rhonda Moore, 61, performs along Vollmer Street in South Philadelphia as part of last year's Fringe Festival.Read moreTYGER WILLIAMS / Staff Photographer
    by Ellen Gray
    Published 

Philadelphia will have a Fringe Festival this year, and attending won’t necessarily involve your computer. But no one knows exactly what it will look like yet.

But then who can ever say what Fringe will look like?

FringeArts announced Tuesday that the 24th annual Fringe Festival will open as scheduled, Sept. 10, “with an adapted format in light of the current pandemic and in the interest of the safety and wellbeing of artists, audiences, and staff.”

Look for some combination of performances presented online, outside, or in other ways that maintain social distance. The festival will continue through Oct. 4, and organizers expect it to include eight to 12 curated works, as well as a virtual bookstore, artist talks, and independently presented works.

» READ MORE: Making sense of the Fringe Fest lingo: a glossary of terms

Fees are being waived this year for independent artists, with the exception of $20 that covers the cost of the platform that processes registrations, and the deadline for artists to register has been extended to June 15.

FringeArts will be holding a town hall-style meeting for independent artists on Zoom at 5 p.m. Thursday to share information about this year’s guidelines and answer questions. Details may be found at FringeArts.com.

Last year’s festival encompassed 179 shows at 102 venues.