FRINGELAND and the opening night street party are back and taking over the Mount Gambier CBD on March 24 and 25 to celebrate the start of Fringe Mount Gambier/Berrin festival.
It’s been three years since the city has seen the much-loved Fringe street party and the Fringe parade, and it’s time to Fringe it UP In a big way.
The 2023 theme is Into the Deep Blue and the community is encouraged to dress up or wear your blues for the opening night street party.
Artistic Program Manager Louise Adams describes FRINGELAND as “a major community celebration where audiences can arrive with anticipation of the unexpected, let their hair down, open their imagination and step into an arts extravaganza”.
“It will be fantastic to have FRINGELAND return to Thugi/Cave Gardens, with Fringe frivolity spilling out across the streets for the opening night street party,” she said.
The Fringe parade will wind its way from the street at 5.30pm into the Cave Gardens, led by parade director Gavin Clarke and fellow musicians and marching bands, before the official Welcome to Country and ceremony and a special performance by the Koondoom Yarkeen Dancers.
Cabaret royalty Tash York and Dolly Diamond will guide audiences through all the Fringe frivolity as the FRINGELAND host emcees.
“I am so excited to come back to Fringe Mount Gambier as the host of the FRINGELAND Stage on Friday and Saturday! I Cannot wait, it’s going to be a good time,” Ms York said.
A dynamic Fringe playground for all, FRINGELAND will host an array of music, circus, theatre, comedy, drag, dance, visual art, kids’ entertainment, aerialists and incredible rovers and street performers.
The Cave Gardens will be a feast for the eyes, as The Bait Fridge crew head back to Mount Gambier creating big and interactive art, drenched in colour.
Mount Gambier favourite Maharnia Nube (now based in Canberra) will return with her incredible glow-in-the-dark visual art installation, ‘Contained Bioluminescence’, taking audiences into The Deep Blue.
“I’m looking forward to returning home for Fringe Mount Gambier with my art installation – let’s dive into the Deep Blue,” Ms Nube said.
For those wanting to try their artistic hand, or just throw balloons full of paint at stuff, head to Artscape’s ‘Balloon Splatt’ or live drawing events.
The FRINGELAND main stage will wow audiences with acclaimed drumming ensemble The Junkyard Beats and their ‘Junk Orchestra’; internationally acclaimed Flanagan Collective (UK) bringing big beats and soul with ‘Gods Gods Gods’; incredible feats of circus, comedy and antics with ‘The Big Balloon Show’, Clara Cupcakes and Reuben Dot Dot Dot.
Meanwhile, DJs and music acts will keep the vibes going at FRINGELAND, across Friday and Saturday, including UK’s Laurie Black, Argentina world music act The New Monos, emerging funk punk pop rock trio The Birds are Spies from Adelaide, The Rob Howe Band bringing the 80s pop rock, emerging hip hop artists including Prosper, Hundo Millis, and Tripp Balency, Indie vibes from The Stokes and Tyrell Bonney, plus more.
FRINGELAND and the street party will be filled with delicious street and festival food offerings, pop up bars showcasing regional breweries, wines, spirits and delicious cocktails, craft/makers stalls and a twilight market.
Fringe Mount Gambier/Berrin runs from March 24 to April 2, visit www.fringemountgambier.com for information.
