Plenty of shows at first Palmy Fringe Festival
Palmerston North’s first Palmy Fringe Festival (PFF) boasts 71 events over eight days.
The festival opens on October 6 with an opening event in The Square from 11am to 2pm, with the final performance on October 13.
The opening performances will feature local music groups and PFF artists, and a costume pop-up and photo booth from Groovylicious.
The open-access festival promotes new and emerging works with 40 per cent of performers from around the Manawatu¯ , and the rest travelling in from around New Zealand and Australia.
Palmy Fringe co-ordinator Talya Pilcher says PFF is not just for the arts community.
“We want to engage with all ages and across the wider Manawatu¯ community. The city is well set up for a festival of this kind, with its compact CBD and many venues and eateries in close proximity.
“We have a great location, and plenty of talent on show. Now we just need the audiences.”
Palmy Fringe also includes many established acts, with several New Zealand artists bringing their shows they’ve toured internationally, including locals Warren and Virginia Warbrick’s Kono, Song cycle of a New Town.
The fringe ethos is low-cost, low-tech and fast set-ups, with most events having only one or two performances. Events are usually under an hour long, with the most expensive full ticket price $25, so fringe goers will be able to attend multiple events over the course of an evening.
There are many free and koha events, as well as content ranging from clowning and music suitable for the whole family to R18 stand-up comedy.
Fringe events are self funded, with all of the financial risks and rewards going back to the artists.
Palmerston’s Comedy Hub has worked hard to co-ordinate a full programme of stand-up comedy based out of the Royal, with every evening of the festival running up to eight different shows.
Fringe goers will have an opportunity to win an Arts Lovers prize package valued at over $1000 with audience members needing to collect five stamps or ticket clips from PFF events to enter. The PFF programme is now on the website www.palmyfringe.nz. It has the full programme loaded with ticketing links.