Elgin Fringe Festival

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Elgin Fringe Festival

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The Elgin Fringe Festival celebrates the performative and visual arts in downtown Elgin, IL!

Fringe Festivals focus on performing arts but also include film, visual arts and music. Performances take place in downtown areas in cafes, theaters, storefronts, and a variety of other locations. The first Fringe Festival started in 1947 in Edinburgh, Scotland, as an alternative festival that played concurrently with the Edinburgh International Festival. There are more than 20 fringe festivals throughout the United States with more in Canada and Europe. Downtown Elgin is a prime location for a fringe festival because of its urban feel and proximity to Chicago. "With the recent space additions of ArtSpace, Side Street, Elgin Art Showcase and the Next Wave Art Salon and Nightmare on Chicago Street events, Elgin has made a name for itself in the arts," said Sean Hargadon, ECAC Chair and JTC founder. "The city's unique architecture, easy walking access, and supportive community is an exciting stew of creative activity."

10/10/2026

AUDIENCE FAVORITE VISUAL ART AWARD
A Good Shark Knife by Ken Simonsen
Acrylic on canvas

ABOUT THE AWARD
The Audience Favorite Visual Art Award celebrates the piece that captured the attention and imagination of Elgin Fringe attendees. Chosen through open voting during the festival, this award highlights the creativity and expression that make the visual arts such an important part of the Elgin Fringe Festival. It honors artists whose work takes shape in bold and unexpected ways, reflecting the spirit of the Fringe.

ABOUT THE ARTIST: Ken Simonsen
I run a business in downtown Elgin called Psymonsen Studios creating both commercial and fine art. I work with many mediums including airbrush, sculpture, casting, vinyl applications, digital illustration, and design. I'm also a founding director of the NFP Oddball Art Labs.

Photo Credit: Ivette De Santiago .de.san

10/09/2026

SPIRIT OF THE FRINGE AWARD
Josie Nixon
Yeah No Yeah Productions

ABOUT THE AWARD
The Chris & Kathleen Mau Spirit of the Fringe Award is a heartfelt tribute to two beloved figures in the history of the Elgin Fringe Festival, Chris and Kathleen Mau, founders of Blue Box Café. Their energy, kindness, generosity, and community spirit helped shape the festival from its earliest days, and their influence continues to be felt in every performance, laugh, and shared moment.

This award honors their legacy by recognizing a festival participant who truly embodies the heart of the Fringe. It celebrates someone who brings laughter, openness, creativity, positivity, and a love for community. The award recognizes the people who help make the Fringe what it is: fun, welcoming, quirky, and full of heart. The Spirit of the Fringe Award may be given to any member of the Fringe community, whether artist, producer, staff, or volunteer.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Josie Nixon is a professional storyteller, producer, and performer who serves as the founder of Yeah No Yeah Productions and the creator of EXPOSED Storytelling. Known also by their performance persona "Juice the Clown," they have spent nearly a decade crafting vulnerable, boundary-pushing solo work and community showcases across North America, including the hit dark comedy show john jack josie JUICE.

2026 ELGIN FRINGE PERFORMANCE: john jack josie JUICEjuice_the_clown

Photo Credit: Adrian Medriano

10/08/2026

THE PRODUCERS AWARD
Winamo Works
Hayley Dynamo & Katie Win

ABOUT THE AWARD
The Producers Award is a special recognition presented by the Elgin Fringe Festival Committee to an exceptional producer participating in the festival. A producer is the individual or team leading a live performance, whether directing, performing, or both.

This award celebrates a producer or producing team who goes above and beyond in collaboration, creativity, and community spirit. They bring positivity and professionalism to every interaction, treating fellow artists, staff, and volunteers with genuine respect. They meet deadlines, stay engaged, and help keep the festival running smoothly through their reliability and enthusiasm.

Most of all, this award recognizes a producer whose contributions shine not only on stage but in the way they connect, support, and uplift the entire Fringe community.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Hayley Dynamo is a Chicago-based multidisciplinary circus artist and dancer who graduated from Oberlin College. She has performed globally, including touring Japan with the ensemble show Brave Space and appearing in the musical Cats at the Paramount Theatre. She specializes in Cyr wheel, aerial silks, and duo trapeze.

Katie Win is a professional circus artist, Cyr wheel performer, and coach based in the Chicago area who collaborates closely on Winamo Works’ choreography and show programming.

2026 ELGIN FRINGE PERFORMANCE: Spin It EXTREMEworks

Photo Credit: Nick Mataragas

10/07/2026

THE PERCOLATOR AWARD
Dan Biemer, Captain Ambivalent

ABOUT THE AWARD
The Percolator Award was introduced by the Fringe Committee in honor of a standout 2023 performance by Julie Leir-VanSickle. Named after her inventive piece that turned the sounds of a coffee percolator into art, the award pays tribute to creativity that bubbles over, blending dance, theater, audience interaction, and the delightfully unexpected in the lively setting of a bar.

This award celebrates artists who push the boundaries of traditional theater and bring fresh ideas to life. It honors those who think beyond the ordinary, challenge artistic conventions, and create immersive performances that surprise and engage their audiences. The Percolator Award shines a light on the fringiest of Fringe artists, recognizing their originality, curiosity, and boldness that keep the festival brewing with new possibilities.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Captain Ambivalent is a satirical songwriting superhero with a sparkly accordion, cape, and boots. His glacial rise from total obscurity to semi-obscurity began at the Front Porch Music open mic in Valparaiso, Indiana, and has grown to include South Bend Public Television, Pierogi Fest, the Gen Con gaming convention, one-man shows at Fringe festivals and alternative theaters, and even a brief cameo on America’s Got Talent.

The Captain’s not-so-secret identity, Dan Biemer, grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, then spent 20 years as a litigation support paralegal in Chicago before un-selling out to fight criminally boring music. His songs are comic takes on the entire human condition with a special fondness for the nerdy bits.

2026 ELGIN FRINGE PERFORMANCE: Big Time Reality Show

Photo Credit: Arnaldo Utrera

10/06/2026

AUDIENCE FAVORITE PERFORMANCE AWARD
La Pittura by Georgie Svrcek

ABOUT THE AWARD
The Audience Favorite Performance Award celebrates the live show that resonated most with festival audiences. Chosen through open voting during the festival, this award highlights the connection and creativity that make live performance so special. It also reminds us that the audience plays a big part in shaping the Fringe experience!

LA PITTURA DESCRIPTION
As painter Cassie makes her way through her presentation on the works of Artemisia Gentileschi, familiar voices and feelings resurface and she starts to lose track of whose story she's telling, Artemisia's or her own. A one-woman show about memory, breaking cycles, and how we put ourselves back together through art.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Georgie Svrcek is a Chicago-area playwright, actor, and fiction writer who graduated from Skidmore College with a degree in Theater. Her creative work centers on the lived experiences of women and q***r stories, spanning original plays like La Pittura and Demonized as well as active performances with Chicago's iO Theater improv comedy scene.
peachy

Photo Credit: Adrian Medriano

10/05/2026

Congratulations to the 2026 Elgin Fringe Festival Award winners!

AUDIENCE FAVORITE PERFORMANCE AWARD
La Pittura by Georgie Svrcek peachy

THE PERCOLATOR AWARD
Captain Ambivalent / Dan Biemer

THE PRODUCERS AWARD
Winamo Works / Hayley Dynamo & Katie Win works

CHRIS & KATHLEEN MAU SPIRIT OF THE FRINGE AWARD
Josie Nixon / Yeah No Yeah Productions juice_the_clown

AUDIENCE FAVORITE VISUAL ART AWARD
A Good Shark Knife by Ken Simonsen

Learn more about this year’s winners and the awards they received at:
https://www.elginfringefestival.com/2026-awards

On Insta click our bio link and awards!

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09/29/2026

Fringe takes a lot of people working behind the scenes, and we are incredibly grateful for everyone who gave their time to help make this year’s festival happen.

A huge thank you to our volunteers Amelia, Meredith, Dustin, Virginia, Dan, Bea, Evan, Gay, Paul, Heather, and Melissa. Whether welcoming audiences, helping at venues, answering questions, or jumping in wherever needed, you were an important part of keeping Fringe moving.

And a special thank you to our billets, who opened their homes to our touring artists: Melissa & Geoff, David, TJ, Christen, Doug & Rachel, Gay & Paul, Fred, John & Kerry, Jamie, and Spring Bird. Your hospitality makes it possible for artists from outside the area to come to Elgin, share their work, and be part of our Fringe community.

Thank you for giving your time, your energy, and even your homes to Fringe. We couldn’t do this without you!

Address

15 Ziegler Court
Elgin, IL
60120

Telephone

+18474292276

Website

http://www.elginfringefestival.com/

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