Tickets and Shows - Kids Day - Rochester Fringe Festival

Welcome to Kids Day at the Fringe!

Saturday, September 20 • Little Fringe. BIG fun.

An ENTIRE day devoted to the youngest fringers in downtown Rochester. Ready for a full day of kid-friendly events, shows, and activities the whole family can enjoy?

View All Family Friendly Shows in Chronological Order Here

DISCO KIDS

Back by Mom and Pop demand, it’s a big party for pint-sized partiers at Disco Kids. Lights. music, and glow sticks! Welcome to the Fringe’s not-so-silent disco!

Time: 12pm - 1:20pm
FREE
Ages: All dancers who can “bust a move”
Venue: Spiegelgarden, One Fringe Place, Corner of Main & Gibbs Streets, Across from Eastman Theatre, Rochester, NY 14604

KIDS CHALK ART

The fun continues after the wee boogie with the forever-popular Kids Chalk Art. Transform One Fringe Place into one giant, colorful canvas. We bring the chalk, you bring the creativity!

Time: 12 noon - 3pm
FREE
Ages: All busy little fingers with huge imaginations
Venue: Spiegelgarden, One Fringe Place, Corner of Main & Gibbs Streets, Across from Eastman Theatre, Rochester, NY 14604

PUMPKIN PAINTING

Pumpkins go to great lengths to become wildly imaginative creations at our super-creative, OUTDOOR Pumpkin Painting jamboree. Turn One Fringe Place into a giant pumpkin patch, kids!

Time: 12 noon - 2pm
Cost: $4 per pumpkin. Pay at the door. (AND you get to take it home!)
Ages: All great pumpkins
Venue: Spiegelgarden, One Fringe Place, Corner of Main & Gibbs Streets, Across from Eastman Theatre, Rochester, NY 14604

FRINGE STREET BEAT

It’s BACK. The excitement, the energy, the adrenaline-pumping action that is Fringe Street Beat returns. The best teams bring the moves. The DJ brings the beats.

Trials: 12:30pm - 3pm
Finals: 3:30pm - 5pm
Cost: FREE
Ages: All dance lovers
Venue: Martin Luther King, Jr. Park (353 Court Street, Rochester, NY 14607)

LES KIF-KIF: JAM SIDE UP

Flying bunnies, speeding French fries! This duo fights giant pink monsters, practices the art of snacking and ensures the triumph of the umbilical cord. The Kif-Kif Sisters mix surprising comedy and audience interaction with enough happiness to make vegetables explode! Inseparable since the womb, these twin sisters have been doing street performances all over the world for over a decade. This show will seduce your heart and eyes with its humor and interactivity. 

Time: 1:20 - 2pm
Cost: FREE
Ages: All ages
Venue: One Fringe Place, Corner of Main & Gibbs Streets, Across from Eastman Theatre, Rochester, NY 14604

Time: 5:45 - 6:25pm
Cost: FREE
Ages: All ages
Venue: Parcel 5, Rochester, NY 14604

CIRQUE DU FRINGE: CLAWS OUT

Join us in the Spiegeltent for a family-friendly matinee of hilarious comedy and thrilling feats starring Vegas legends Matt and Heidi Morgan! On a mystical moonlit midsummer night when the air crackles with energy and even the trees seem to tingle with anticipation, the most galvanic gathering of the year takes place. This is the night the coolest of the cool cats come out and everyone is dressed to impress. Beloved socialite and renowned opera singer, Kitty Ross, cordially invites you to be her guests of honor for this dazzling and unforgettable evening. Featuring glamorous aerialists, mind-blowing acrobats, a swashbuckling swordsman, and the comedy of Matt and Heidi, this show will be one for the memory books! But be careful, with a cast of characters as dramatic as these, the claws are sure to come out. Grab a nip of your favorite libation and prepare yourself for the purrrfect evening!

Time: 2:30-4pm
Cost: Starting at $25 for kids
Ages: 5 and up
Venue: Spiegeltent, One Fringe Place, Corner of Main & Gibbs Streets, Across from Eastman Theatre, Rochester, NY 14604

SPHERE BY EVENTI VERTICALI

SPHERE, a spectacle of and about our miraculous planet, will stun downtown Rochester! Italy’s eVenti Verticali has been mesmerizing audiences worldwide, from St. Petersburg to Ottawa, in more than 500 performances of mind-bending acrobatics choreographed in and around massive, luminous shapes and structures. In vertical, non-traditional arenas, eVenti Verticali has created its own visual language that unites elements from theatre, circus, acrobatics, dance, music and new technologies.

Time: 7pm - 7:30pm
Cost: FREE
Ages: All ages
Venue: Parcel 5, Rochester, NY 14604

Time: 9pm - 9:30pm
Cost: FREE
Ages: All ages
Venue: Parcel 5, Rochester, NY 14604

Check out Kids Shows in chronological order by clicking here.
Check out Family-Friendly Shows in chronological order by clicking here.

More to see and do at Fringe on September 20!

Fringe fun means food truck breaks at One Fringe Place. Discover the delicious side of Fringe.

Need some help planning your Fringe?

Did you know the KIDS FRINGE genre on our website has events all twelve days?
You can also search for shows throughout the Fringe lineup by filtering for age-appropriate events (i.e.: ALL, 5+, 13+, etc.).

You have many options to entertain the whole family. We’re thrilled Kids Fringe is one. Now, GO. Be a kid again.

Kids Day at Fringe. Nonstop fun for little ones (and parents) at new events and family favorites.

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Cirque du Fringe: Claws Out

Join us on a mystical midsummer night as the air crackles with energy and even the trees seem to tingle with anticipation for the most galvanic gathering of the year. The coolest of the cool cats come out and are dressed to impress. Beloved socialite and renowned opera singer, Kitty Ross, cordially invites you to be her guests for this unforgettable evening with glamorous aerialists, mind-blowing acrobats, a swashbuckling swordsman, and festival favorites, Matt and Heidi Morgan.

Length: 90 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: Spiegeltent: Spiegeltent
Genre: Multidisciplinary

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Drag Me Home

Three legendary queens enter. Who leaves with the crown? Fabulous hometown stars of RuPaul’s Drag Race compete to be named THE Rochester Drag Queen. Mrs. Kasha Davis, Darienne Lake, and Pandora Boxx pull out all the stops for a three-judge panel in a revved-up rivalry of glam and hilarity. Munch on hors d’oeuvres while you devour the dazzle and daring—and of course, the vintage Spiegeltent bar will be ready with bevvies. Tickets are VERY limited.

Length: 90 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: Spiegeltent: Spiegeltent
Genre: Comedy

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Dram-o-cracy: Whiskey Tasting Event

Sample four premium, unreleased single barrels from the award-winning Finger Lakes Distilling in this exclusive, insider, tasting experience led by president Brian McKenzie. Set in the Spiegeltent at happy hour, guests will sip, savor, and learn about the whiskey-making process—then cast their vote. The winning whiskey will be laid down and bottled as the official 2026 Fringe Whiskey. Bold spirits, expert guidance, and a Fringe twist: at Dram-o-cracy, every sip—and every vote—counts.

Length: 60 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: Spiegeltent: Spiegeltent
Genre: Multidisciplinary

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The Event

Get ready for an unforgettable afternoon at the theatre with The Event, a one-man tour-de-force starring award-winning actor David Calvitto. With sharp wit and deep insight, this play breaks down the art of performance while exploring the absurdities of life itself. Hailed as both a comic deconstruction of theatre and a profound look at human connection, The Event goes beyond the stage, inviting you to think, laugh, and reconnect with what matters most.

Length: 65 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: Spiegeltent: Spiegeltent
Genre: Theatre

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Gospel Sunday

The most soulful, spiritual, uplifting experience at Fringe returns. Sing, Sunday, SING. Reverend Rickey Harvey of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church leads an afternoon of sacred song by some of Rochester's best gospel artists. A Fringe favorite for the whole family! No tickets required. Seating is general admission and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Lawn chairs allowed. Arrive early; this event has reached standing room only capacity every year!

Length: 90 Minutes
Tickets: Not Required
Venue: Spiegeltent: Spiegeltent
Genre: Music

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The Returns Department

Award-winning kids show direct from Montreal! The Kif-Kif Sisters welcome you to The Returns Department—a hilarious combination of physical theatre, circus, and clowning. Inspecting returned merchandise passing on a conveyor belt, the renowned clowning duo gives in to the temptation to play with the faulty items, but the objects themselves play some tricks of their own! An uproarious adventure unfolds in the Spiegeltent.

Length: 55 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: Spiegeltent: Spiegeltent
Genre: Kids Fringe

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Shotspeare

With rave reviews from New York, Las Vegas, and previous Rochester Fringe engagements, Shotspeare puts the “Lit” in Literature! Five sword wielding actors, one lucky audience member, a ton of booze, the Wheel of Soliloquy, and an entire work of Shakespeare -- all in 90 minutes. Equal parts bacchanal and classical theater, Shotspeare’s adaptation of Titus Andronicus takes the world's most beloved playwright, soaks him in beer, and flips him on his head!

Length: 90 Minutes
Tickets: Required
Venue: Spiegeltent: Spiegeltent
Genre: Comedy

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Silent Disco

The glamorous Spiegeltent will be filled once again with a giant dance party. But with a twist: you don’t hear a sound until you slip on a set of headphones. Wait! Is that YMCA on one channel, Calvin Harris on the second, and David Guetta on the third? A three-channel system and live DJs let you switch up your music (and mood) at the touch of a button. Hugely popular at Coachella and Burning Man, it’s an unforgettable experience you have to see —and not hear—to believe!