In 1982, Edmonton hosted the first Fringe Festival in Canada; they hoped to provide a direct link between theater artists and their audiences, by adapting a simple formula that was created by the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 35 years previously. The tremendous success and growth of The Edmonton Fringe Festival soon led to the creation of Fringe Festivals across Canada and the United States.

In 1990 the various Fringe producers began to meet annually to talk about their respective festivals, swap ideas, and share resources. Over the next few years, there was growing concern that the ideals and principles originally inherent to a Fringe Festival were becoming more and more muddled by numerous theater events that referred to themselves as being a “Fringe” but who chose not to abide by the principles of the Edinburgh Fringe.

In order to preserve these “Fringe” ideals and principles these producers came together to form the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals and codify the four guiding principles of a true Fringe Festival:

1. Participants will be selected on a non-juried basis, through a first-come, first served process, a lottery, or other method approved by the Association.
2. The audience must have the option to pay a ticket price, 100% of which goes directly to the artists (government taxes notwithstanding.)
3. Fringe Festival producers have no control over the artistic content of each performance.  The artistic freedom of the participants is unrestrained.
4. Festivals must provide an easily accessible opportunity for all audiences and all artists to participate in Fringe Festivals.

The Orlando Fringe is a proud member of CAFF and these are the other festivals who are members of CAFF. These festivals make up the North American Fringe Circuit, whose schedule allows artists from around the world to tour in Fringe Festivals from early spring through to late fall.

Frigid New York

New York, New York
February 22 – March 4, 2012
(Mini Fridge June 28th thru July 4th, 2012)
www.frigidnewyork.info

Piggyback Fringe Festival

Wakefield, Quebec
June 14-17, 2012
www.piggybackfringe.ca

London Fringe Theatre Festival

London, Ontario
June 6-17, 2012
www.londonfringe.ca

Festival St-Ambroise Fringe de Montreal

Montreal, Quebec
June 14-24, 2012
www.montrealfringe.ca

Regina International Fringe Festival

Regina, Saskatchewan
Festival Dates: July 4-8, 2012
www.reginafringe.com

Ottawa Fringe Festival

Ottawa, Ontario
Festival Dates: June 14-24, 2012
www.ottawafringe.com

The Toronto Fringe Festival

Toronto, Ontario
Festival Dates: July 4-15, 2012
www.fringetoronto.com

Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival

Winnipeg, Manitoba
Festival Dates: July 18-29,2012
www.winnipegfringe.com

Hamilton Fringe Festival

Hamilton, Ontario
Festival Dates: July 19-29, 2012
www.hamiltonfringe.ca

Windsor International Fringe Festival

Windsor, Ontario
Festival Dates: July 27-Aug 5, 2012
www.windsorfringe.com

PotashCorp (Saskatoon) Fringe Theatre Festival

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Festival Dates: August 2-11, 2012
www.saskatoonfringe.org

Calgary Fringe Festival

Calgary, Alberta
Festival Dates: August 3-11, 2012
www.calgaryfringe.ca

Boulder International Fringe Festival

Boulder, Colorado
Festival Dates: August 15-26, 2012
www.boulderfringe.com

Edmonton International

Fringe Theatre Festival
Festival Dates: August 16-26, 2012
www.fringetheatreadventures.ca

Fringetastic Theatre Festival

Nanaimo, BC
Festival Dates: August 16-26, 2012
www.fringetastic.com

Indianapolis Fringe Theatre Festival

Indianapolis, Indiana
Festival Dates: August 17-26, 2012
www.indyfringe.org

Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival

Victoria, British Columbia
Festival Dates: August 24-Sept 3, 2012
www.victoriafringe.com

Island Fringe Festival

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Festival Dates: August 24-26, 2012
www.islandfringe.tumblr.com

Festival Fringe de Saguenay

Saguenay, Quebec
Festival Dates: August 30-Sept. 2, 2012
www.fringesaguenay.org

San Francisco Fringe Festival

San Francisco, California
Festival Dates: September 5-16, 2012
www.sffringe.org

Atlantic Fringe Festival

Halifax, Nova Scotia
Festival Dates: August 30-Sept 9, 2012
www.atlanticfringe.ca

Vancouver Fringe Festival

Vancouver, British Columbia
Festival Dates: September 6-16, 2012
www.vancouverfringe.com