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Edmonton summer festivals

What I like about the Fringe is that it's a combination of all the prior festivals such as Street Performers, The Works, Taste of Edmonton, K Days, Heritage Festival, Whyte Ave Art Walk, etc. None of the plays really piqued my interest though - maybe next year.

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I was there yesterday afternoon hoping it wouldn’t be so hot.
maybe it was just because it was a Tuesday afternoon but somehow it didn’t have the same vibe that I remembered.
Tried taking the tram back to Jasper ave but they are cash only. WTF I was informed there was a cash machine around the corner and down the block where I can spend extra money taking out $5 to ride. Get with the program 21st century and all that. How much revenue are they missing out on?
Another thing is it doesn’t go to Whyte avenue because of a special event surely they can make arrangements with flag men to get there. This is after all their biggest exposure of the year.
 
It seems a lot of shows still have tickets. I hope they sell out better towards the weekend.

Biggest change for me is the lack of dedicated main beer garden seating makes it feel a bit emptier, even though I know it's not. There was just something about all the picnic tables and always running into people you knew.
 
I went yesterday as well, felt underwhelmed with everything. This festival seems like a shadow of its former self.
 
Get with the program 21st century and all that.
We are in the 21st century - one for nonprofits, where we aren't swimming in resources. I've been researching options for them, and there are a ton of considerations that go into it. If there's a monthly fee, we'll have to keep paying that fee during months where we don't operate. One company even charges $100+ per month. Alternatively, there are ones with no monthly fee. But they do take cuts from sales, and we either need to get a separate data-only plan (plus, for something like square, a dedicated smart phone), or go debit only since credit sales don't work without an internet connection (at best, they wouldn't be processed until we connected it to wifi, so we wouldn't know if the card gets rejected until it's too late). Plus, when it comes to people taking a while to punch in their pins, maybe for the sale to be processed, etc., it can take a bit longer than cash - which adds up when you don't have ticket sellers helping.

How much revenue are they missing out on?
Not a whole lot, tbh. I'd love to see it work out (which is why I took the initiative on researching options), and we do get a few people like you sometimes, but most people check our website and learn they need cash. I've actually been surprised by how few people already have cash on them.

surely they can make arrangements with flag men to get there. This is after all their biggest exposure of the year.
This is the first year where they have the Whyte Ave stop, and there were a ton of uncertainties and new procedures to be worked through. This will most likely come up during the next general meeting, but right now I think they did not want to experiment during such a high traffic event. Especially when we desperately need volunteers for ticket sales, driving, etc.

Keep in mind, this is 100% volunteer done. The Whyte Ave extension took ten years for the volunteer board to get through. Card machines need volunteers to arrange. So do the flaggers. There's only so much capacity for a volunteer board, and only so many volunteers to go around. I think it's simply remarkable that they've managed to restore and maintain streetcars that are over 100 years old, and grateful that they have volunteers who are passionate enough to do this for the public. There's always room for improvement, yes. And they should strive for improvement. But we shouldn't forget what they're about here, and how much the members get paid to do this ;)

Sorry you missed out on the ride though, hopefully you give it another chance and enjoy it :)
 
I don’t get why it’s a problem that the street car stops at the fringe during the fringe, instead of between a parking lot and a toilet on whyte lol…

And I don’t know what festival you guys were at, but I’m loving it. Seen 9 shows so far with 2 to go this weekend. Great atmosphere on the grounds. Perfect weather. There is a large licensed area including the main outdoor stage area which is why there isn’t a dedicated beer garden. There is also a second beer garden tucked away back by the streetcar drop off.

Absolutely it is smaller than past years, but no fucking kidding. Have you forgotten what we’ve been through Lol. This is first year back with an attempt at normal. For what it’s worth, two people standing behind us in one of the lines were talking about how ticket sales were comparable to 2019. I have no idea who these people were or if they know what they’re talking about, but that’s great news if true.

and in case anyone is still looking for shows:

Musical for the Endtimes - did not like. Childish writing. Couple good actors. Couple good songs. needed tweaking.

For Science - clown version of bill nye. The audience enthusiasm made the show. Seemed almost sold out tonight.

Mi Habana Querida - seemed like a dance company trying to act. So acting was a bit rough but the dancing was good.

Away, Now - a weird one. Punny abstract comedy about travel during/post covid

Lemon - decent awkward comedy about a Mom and son separately using their smart speaker to learn about sexuality

Fags in Space - cute one. Two guys pretending the audience is at their house warming party and explaining how they met

The Pansy Cabaret - drag performer and pianist exploring songs written by queer people in New York in first half of 20th century. I went to this one mostly to see the new Roxy theatre (which looks like it has a few deficiencies…)

Generic Male: Just What We Need Another Show About Men - My favourite. About masculinity, family relationships, homophoebia, death of the old white male. All that being said, it doesnt actually feel to preachy…a little preachy…but not that bad lol . And it has comedy, mime, and weird physical almost gymnastic things going on lol. Hard to explain.

The Disney Delusion - one man story telling, almost standup comedy. How he had a crush on someone for years way above his league and his attempt to win their heart Disney style.

Even the not so good ones were still watchable. It’s an hour out of your life, and it’s just nice to be out with people laughing and supporting local (and some not so local) artists.
 
I no longer live in Edmonton and I miss Fringe the most out of the festivals. Really sucks it wasn't around as normal the last couple of years either, I've had some memorable visits and seeing great performances that I wish I could go back and do again.

You folks are lucky to have such a wonderful festival at your hands.
 

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