PHOTOS: Orlando Fringe wraps up 35th festival with closing ceremony, Splash Awards

(Photo by Dylan Todd)

ORLANDO | The Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival closed its 14-day immersive cultural experience on May 25 with a closing ceremony to celebrate the artists.

The night included Patrons Pick Day and Watermark Out News’ Splash Awards. This year’s Splash Awards went to “The Vagina Monologues” for Favorite Show, and Jaimz Dillman from “The Vagina Monologues” for Favorite Director. Daniel Kermidas from “Higher Than Rainbows” won Favorite Writer, and Laura Powalisz from “Higher Than Rainbows” won for Favorite Lead Performer. Xoey Dillman-Giewont from “The Vagina Monologues” received Favorite Supporting Performer.

For the 35th festival, over 1,700 artists representing four countries and 15 states traveled to Orlando from around the world to perform at one of the many venues in Loch Haven Park, according to the press release. Orlando Fringe hosted over 1,000 ticketed shows spanning every genre, such as theatre, dance, storytelling, musicals, comedy and more.

This year, Orlando Fringe sold 43,901 tickets and paid out over $500,000 to artists. Visual Fringe paid out over $20,000 to gallery and market artists, while over 200 kids participated and performed in Kids Fringe and nearly 200 volunteers supported the entire festival.

“I am so honored and proud of the community that showed up and showed out!” says Tempestt Halstead. “We laughed, cried, danced, sweat through the Florida heat on The Lawn, took big creative risks and proved once again that there is nothing quite like Orlando Fringe. This festival only exists because artists, volunteers, staff and audiences continue to believe in the magic of live performance and in each other.”

As the longest-running Fringe in the United States and the largest performing arts festival in Central Florida, Orlando Fringe is founded on being: 100% uncensored, 100% unjuried, 100% accessible, 100% inclusive and 100% of all tickets go directly back to the artists.

Watemark Out News was present during the closing ceremony. View our photos below.

Photos by Dylan Todd and Kay Yingling.