We're heading into the 20th anniversary Minnesota Fringe Festival - the biggest performance festival in the Midwest. We feature theater, dance, comedy, physical theater, shows for kids, shows by teens, and much more. The festival is a non-juried event (applications for performances are selected by random lottery). The 2013 Fringe Festival will be August 1-11 and will feature 176 different performing companies from Minnesota and across the country.

The 2012 Fringe was a rollicking success. For our complete 2012 annual report, look here. A few key numbers we're extra-proud of:

• 829 performances of 163 shows, highlighting the work of nearly 1,200 artists

• 46,284 tickets distributed over eleven days

• Over $230,000 in box office revenue paid to our producing companies. The average payout was $1,417.

We kept ticket prices low – they haven’t gone up since 2004! Our top ticket price remains at $12 (plus the one-time purchase of a $4 Fringe button), with discounts available for students, seniors and multiple ticket buyers.

Volunteering is a great way for people to see a free show for every shift they work - 420 people took us up on that offer this year and worked over 3,600 shifts.

We made the Fringe accessible for the artists in other ways as well – our low production fee (ranging from $350 to $450 depending on venue size) makes us an incredibly affordable way to get their work onstage, and for nine companies unable to front that much money, we offered fee deferments, allowing them to postpone payment until they’ve received their box office payout.

Your donation today will help us continue our exemplary track record of providing support to artists and engaging artistic experiences for audiences. We're proud that 75% of our budget comes from earned income, but individual contributions are still important to our bottom line.