On Tuesday night I had the opportunity of experiencing The Toronto Fringe Festival for the first time. I checked out “An Evening in July” at the Martyr Church. I am still talking about how amazing the performance was.
In this show two crazy sisters plan out a birthday party. It’s a fairly simple plot but far from your average performance. It was an interactive show; the audience was almost as much a part of it as the actresses were. We were rarely sitting down. We followed them in and out of their house, held props and were even the guests at the party.
An Evening in July
An Evening In July was more than worth the mere $10 that I spent to see it and I will probably spend another $10 before the festival ends on Sunday. If you purchase the tickets online it’ll cost $12 but that extra two dollars will guarantee you a spot at the show. It’s $10 at the door so go early if you decide to pay this way.
I didn’t know anything about Fringe Festival before this year. Turns out its been around showcasing some really great talent for 25 years. What makes this festival unique from others is that it’s all about celebrating a community and giving new or undiscovered voices a chance to perform. Even better, 100% of the ticket price goes towards the artist(s) you show up to see.
This is a super inexpensive way to check out some amazing indie talent. You can see acts all throughout the city with options to choose from such as theatre, dance, art, buskers etc. etc. etc. There really seems to be something for everyone. The best part, you can easily rock a pair of sneakers and jeans so no stress about wardrobe choice!
This festival is broke girl approved! Go check out out the website.
Keep it thrifty,
Michelle
Cash Strapped in the City 
I’ve heard great things about this festival. I’m moving back downtown soon, so it will be on my to-do list for next year for sure.
You may enjoy Shakespeare in the Park (https://www.canadianstage.com/online/1314shakespeare) later this summer. They may have performances that are “pay what you can”. I know they did when I was “cashed strapped in the city” which was almost 25 years ago now.
Thanks for the suggestion Steve! I’ll definitely look into this.