Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe

Unnecessarily confusing name aside, there’s a lot to love about the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe. The early fall extravaganza is a tribute to theater, dance, music, spoken word, and other arts and performance mediums.

The Live Arts part is developed by festival organizers, bringing the best performers from around the world to Philly. However, it’s the Fringe part that gets really wild, since anyone with a venue and a dream can include their show in the program.

And yes, “venue” occasionally means the sidewalk. It’s a thrilling and unpredictable artistic ride and the no-cover fringe cabaret promises good times, and often hungover mornings, for all involved.