N.Y. — Here’s your guide to events happening on Friday and this weekend in the Rochester area. You can learn more about what’s happening around town on our Community Calendar
Fringe Festival (through Sept. 26)
The 15th annual Rochester Fringe Festival continues, and a highly anticipated free act will take over downtown on Friday and this weekend. Circus in the City is coming to Parcel 5, featuring acrobatics and dance from acclaimed aerial groups.
The festival kicked off on Tuesday, bringing music, dance, theater, comedy, film, visual arts, acrobatics, magic, and other kinds of acts to venues across the city. In total, the festival features 715 performances, including many free shows, across 45 venues. The venues include outdoor spaces, universities, schools, museums, theaters, restaurants, cultural institutions, and more.
Fringe Festival: Guide to free and ticketed acts, behind-the-scenes at SOTA, and more
The festival runs for 12 straight days, through Saturday, Sept. 26, and is considered New York State’s largest multidisciplinary performing arts festival. Once again, organizers have set up the Spiegelgarden at the corner of Gibbs and East Main streets as a hub for people to learn about the festival, get food and drinks, play outdoor games, and watch free outdoor movies. You can see the full festival lineup and get tickets here.
Circus in the City will take place on Friday, Sept. 18, and Saturday, Sept. 19. The show will feature multiple nationally and internationally acclaimed aerial groups, including FLIP Fabrique, Aloft, Big Teeth Collective, and 3AM Circus. The show runs from 5 to 10 p.m. both days. You can learn more about each act part of Circus in the City here.
Wilmot Warrior Weekend (Saturday and Sunday)
People will bike, run, and walk this weekend to raise money for cancer research at the Wilmot Cancer Institute. Wilmot Warrior Weekend takes place at the Xerox Campus in Webster.
Participants can pick up their packets on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m at 1900 Empire Blvd. Then, there will be a kickoff celebration at the same place from 6 to 8 p.m.
“I have to say, everytime I go – it motivates me to work that much harder to fight cancer – seeing families and patients pouring their energy into fundraising for us and having a celebration is incredibly motivating, said Dr. Jonathan Friedberg, director of Wilmot Cancer Institute.
The biking, running, and walking will take place on Sunday, starting at the Xerox campus on 1350 Chiyoda Drive in Webster. Bikers can sign up to ride 12.5, 25, 50, or 75 miles, or take a spin class. There’s also a 6K run and a one-mile walk. You can sign up here. Here’s the schedule:
- 7 a.m. – 75-mile ride
- 8:15 a.m. – 50-mile ride
- 9:40 a.m. – 25-mile ride
- 9:55 a.m. – 12.5-mile ride
- 10:30 a.m. – 6K run/walk; 1-mile walk immediately follows
- 10:40 a.m. – 1-mile walk
- 11 a.m. – Spin class
- 11 a.m. to 3 PM – Post ride/walk/run celebration
Chance to meet Dion Dawkins at food drive (Sunday)
Bills Mafia will have the chance to meet Dion Dawkins during a food drive at Wegmans this weekend. Wegmans is partnering with the Buffalo Bills Foundation to host a food drive benefiting Foodlink. It is part of the “Huddle for Hunger” campaign.
People are encouraged to donate nonperishable food. Donations will be accepted from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20, at the Wegmans on Calkins Road. All the items will go to Foodlink for distribution. People who donate will get an exclusive Bills-and-Wegmans co-branded tote bag.
In addition to donating food, people will get a chance to meet Dawkins from 11 a.m. to noon on Sunday. People will also be able to get pictures with Billy Buffalo, win prizes, and hear live music. Each year, the Buffalo Bills Foundation and Wegmans team up to raise awareness of food insecurity in the region and support local hunger-fighting charities.
Flower City Comic Con (Saturday and Sunday)
Comic Con weekend is happening in Rochester.
The annual event is at Total Sports Experience on Elmgrove Road in Gates. Local and national writers and artists are expected to attend, as well as some anime voice actors.
It’s open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sunday you can check it out from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, click here.
Water Lantern Festival (Saturday)
The event will be held at Cobbs Hill Park in Rochester at 4 p.m. Attendees can write messages on lanterns before releasing them at sunset. Food trucks and music will also be on site.
The event ends at 8 p.m.
For more information, click here.
Pittsford Food & Truck Music Fest (Saturday)
The festival is located on Main Street in Pittsford. It goes from noon to 9 p.m. Admission is free.
There’s live funk and dance music, food and drinks, amusement rides, fireworks over the canal starting at 9 p.m., a Pittsford Youth Services Duck Drop in Carpenter Park at the Port of Pittsford, and more.
For more information, click here.
