Fringe how-to

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The curtain's about to rise on another Winnipeg Fringe Festival.

Fringe Festival

• Fringe Central

  News, live blog, videos, and interviews from the Fringe.

• Fringe Show Reviews

  See our reviews and star ratings and share your own.

• Fringe How-To

  How to get around the Fringe, and how to make the most of Free Press Fringe coverage.

• Live Blog

  Read public tweets with the hashtag @wpgfringe.

• Interactive Map

  See a map of Fringe venues; Click to read or share a review.

• Buy Tickets

  Buy tickets for any play on the Fringe Festival website.

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1. Articles

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   • 'The festival that could'
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   • INTERACTIVE MAP: Fringe venues

Here we go, Fringers: the first batch of reviews of shows at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival has hit our website, and we're ready for you to do your part.

Find out about all things Fringe in our special section.  News is at the top, followed by the latest videos, and you can find a list of the freshest reviews at the bottom of the page.

Speaking of reviews, we've launched our reviews section with shows Kevin Prokosh caught at Fringe festivals in Montreal and Ottawa in June. We'll have every single Fringe show -- all 172 of them -- reviewed by Sunday afternoon.

And: we want you to share your opinion on every show you see. Just log in and visit any play's page to share your star rating and contribute a text review in our comments section.

Join the Fringe conversation in real time with our live blog. Tweet with the hashtag #wpgfringe to appear in the live coverage box.

This year we've introduced new ways for you to find the precise play you want to know about.  In the Fringe Reviews section you can sort reviews by name, by your rating, by our rating, or by venue.

Here's a few more highlights of our Fringe review coverage:

• Can't remember the play name, but know where you saw it?  Check our interactive map with links to every venue.
• Use our shortlinks to see reviews of shows at any venue: wfp.to/venue1 will show you a list of shows at Venue 1, wfp.to/venue10 displays shows at venue 10, etc.
• See a list of shows that wowed Free Press reviewers at wfp.to/5stars (there might not be anything there yet, but it's updated as ratings roll in).  Switch the number in the link to see any level of star ratings, down to 1.
• See a list of shows that you, our audience, loved at wfp.to/reader5 (again, this list will change as your star ratings arrive), Changing the number displays other star ratings here as well.

And: this year's Fringe reviews have been specially designed to load quickly and efficiently on your smartphone.  Just browse over to wfp.to/mobilereviews to load us up on your mobile device -- or keep an eye peeled for posters with venue-specific QR codes around the Fringe site for quick access to all the latest Fringe information.

Fringe how-to

Tickets

Tickets to shows range from $5 to $10 and can be purchased in advance or at the door. 

All ticket sales are final, with no refunds or exchanges.

Door sales:

Door sales are cash-only.

About half of the tickets for each show are reserved for at-the-door sales.  There's a limit of four tickets per person at the door.

Tickets go on sale one hour before showtime for the first performance of the day at each venue. For all other performances, tickets go on sale 15 minutes after the start of the previous performance at the venue.

Advance tickets:

Advance tickets can be purchased for any show up to four hours before showtime. A $2 surcharge applies to each advance ticket.

To buy Fringe show tickets in advance:

• Call 204-942-6537.
• Click over to the Fringe Festival website. An extra $2 fee is applied to each online order.
• Visit the MTC Box Office at 174 Market Avenue.

If you've purchased advance tickets you can pick them up at Fringe Central up to four hours before showtime; after that they must be picked up at the venue.

Schedule changes and show cancellations are posted daily on the info board at Old Market Square and on the Fringe website.

Shows

Arrive early.  No latecomers are seated at Fringe shows.

Turn off cell phones and other devices that ring, ding, or sing.  Texting during shows is not allowed.  Fringe performers generally expect quiet as well -- save your review for after the show.

Taking photos or video is prohibited in all indoor Fringe venues.

Old Market Square

The Fringe Festival revolves around Old Market Square, a hub of activity each day between noon and midnight. 

The festival is advertising free wireless internet access in Old Market Square, so if you've got a smartphone it's a great place to read and submit reviews.

The festival's Info Tent is at the square, where you can buy Fringe merch, use the ATM and check the latest schedule.

If you're hungry, grab something quick to eat between shows at the many food trucks around the square.  The square is also home to the fringe beer tent and Liquor Mart patio, popular meet-up places for Fringe performers and attendees. 

See a schedule of events on the Cube Stage on the Fringe website.  Feature bands take to the stage every night at 9 p.m. 

The Kids Fringe offers free family fun between noon and 6 p.m. on Arthur Street.  Amenities include a petting zoo, face painting, balloons and a theatre activity centre. A schedule of activities is available on the Fringe website.

Albert and Arthur streets are closed to traffic for "Vendor Alley," where merchants set up kiosks selling clothing, jewelry, and other gifts.

If you're impressed by a street performer around Old Market Square, consider a donation.  Buskers are paid by audience donations, not by the festival.