Asheville Fringe Arts Festival Returns March 15 With Over 70 Performances

Four days out from its March 15 kickoff, the 24th Asheville Fringe Arts Festival is set to take over downtown Asheville with more than 70 experimental performances spread across eight venues through March 22.

The weeklong festival opens Sunday with a Kickoff Party at One World Brewing West before spreading into theater, dance, comedy, puppetry, spoken word and forms that, as the organizers put it, defy definition entirely. A Preview Party follows on Wednesday, March 18 at Sovereign Kava. Among the eight venues this year is the LaZoom Fringe Bus Tour, the big purple bus returning after a two-year hiatus with live entertainment onboard and multiple stops at surprising locations around the River Arts District.

Around 60% of the artists performing are Western North Carolina locals, and several venues that sustained damage from Tropical Storm Helene will host shows during the festival. Artistic Director Erinn Hartly framed that dimension directly. "This year feels like a homecoming for our beloved venues and artists, especially as our local community continues rebuilding during an uncertain time for the arts and for diversity in general," Hartly said. "It reflects the original spirit of Fringe — creating art outside the mainstream in response to disruption, and enriching cultural life in the process."

Board member Jen Murphy described the programming range in blunter terms: "From dark history to weird science, queer clowns to killer banjos, we invite adventurous audiences from across the region to Fringe with us!"

The festival is produced by the Asheville Fringe Society, a 501(c)(3) organization, with support from ArtsAVL, Buncombe County Government and the North Carolina Arts Council. A festival press release noted the event "helps funnel valuable business and publicity to the local economy while providing safe spaces for a diverse group of performers and audiences from all backgrounds."

For those planning to attend multiple shows, the Fringe Freak Pass is currently on sale at ashevillefringe.org and allows access to up to 12 performances for one price. Individual show tickets go on sale March 1 at tickets.ashevillefringe.org/events, when the full schedule also becomes available.