Fringe Festival: Day 1
Saturday, February 28
Overture Center
Free and open to the public
Age Recommendation
All ages
Drag Show may not be appropriate for young audiences due to content, length or atmosphere.
Join us at Overture's Fringe Festival for additional FREE, interactive performances and immersive experiences, as well as exciting ticketed events on Saturday. Fill up on traditional festival fare—hot dogs, fried chicken cones, ice cream and more—from our food stands in Overture Hall and Rotunda lobbies. Stands open at 11am. Plus, enjoy local artists throughout the building, including circus performers, doodle artists and an Art Mart along with a drag show featuring Bianca Lynn Breeze—something for everyone. Come early with the family, stay late with the adults. Free for all!
Schedule of Events
Kids in the Rotunda: Mark Hayward
9:30am, 11am & 1pm, Rotunda Stage | Free
Food Stands
11am-10:30pm, Overture Hall Main Lobby
11am-9pm, Rotunda Studio | Free
Artist Talk 3-3:45pm, Rotunda Studio
Art Mart
1-8pm, Promenade Terrace
Polka! Press (Printmaking activity)
1-8pm, Overture Hall Main Lobby
Sketch Cute! With Ronnie Walter
1-8pm, Overture Hall Main Lobby
Chris Grace: Sardines (a comedy about death)
2pm, The Playhouse | Buy Tickets
Wild Rumpus Circus
2-3pm & 4-5pm, Overture Hall Main Lobby | Free
Dinosaur World Live
3pm, Overture Hall | Buy Tickets
Baby Wants Candy
5pm, The Playhouse | Buy Tickets
Caitlin Cook - The Writing on the Stall
5pm & 8pm, Promenade Hall | Buy Tickets
The Naked Magicians
7pm, Capitol Theater | Buy Tickets
Shamilton
8pm, The Playhouse | Buy Tickets
Drag Show with Bianca Lynn Breeze
9:15-10:30pm, Overture Hall Main Lobby | Free
Experience the Fringe
Saturday, February 28 - Sunday, March 1
Learn more about our weekend-long fringe festival! Purchase tickets to six one-of-a-kind Fringe performances, learn more about Fringe artists, and explore what it means to be part of the Fringe – join us for one performance or delight in the entire weekend!
Saturday's Lobby Entertainment
1 - 8pm
Art Mart
Pop into the Art Mart, located on Promenade Terrace, featuring seven artists and makers handpicked for their playful and creative Fringe spirit. Discover handmade treasures, from jewelry, mixed media art and fiber works to ceramics and more—all made by local artists.
1 - 8pm
Polka! Press
In a collective printmaking activity, participants will combine multiple carved blocks—composed of head, torso and legs—to create uniquely exquisite corpses. Each block is designed and hand-carved by Polka! Press members. Assemble a corpse and print your own for free!
Polka! Press
Polka! Press is a collective of artists and designers working alongside one another to produce a diverse mixture of original printed artworks in a shared makerspace. They promote a vibrant local printmaking culture by offering access to printmaking facilities and providing educational opportunities to the Madison community.
1 - 8pm
Sketch Cute with Ronnie Walter
Who doesn’t want to be “seen” in this complicated world? Stop by Sketch Cute™ LIVE to have your portrait drawn by illustrator Ronnie Walter. In just a few minutes, Ronnie will capture your cute charm in a whimsical line art portrait.
Ronnie Walter
Ronnie Walter is an illustrator, teacher and creator of the Sketch Cute™ method of elevating doodles into fun and whimsical drawings. A life-long illustrator, Ronnie brings to life happy and uplifting images with a few strokes of her pen and a splash of watercolor. She teaches in-person classes in the Madison area and on her popular YouTube channel. She has licensed her designs on hundreds of products and created over 30 coloring books.
2 - 3pm & 4 - 5pm
Wild Rumpus Circus
Wild Rumpus Circus brings its whimsical brand of strolling entertainment—including some unusually tall and uniquely masked characters—to the festival. Formed in 2002, they’ve performed on four continents and offer camps and classes for youth and adults in Madison and Mazomanie.
9:15 - 10:30pm
Drag Show with Bianca Lynn Breeze
A free, high-energy drag showcase bursting with dazzling looks and big personalities. Drop in and cheer loudly to celebrate self-expression as local drag performers light up the festival with style and sparkle. Feel free to tip the queens to support their artistry. (May not be appropriate for young audiences due to content, length or atmosphere.)
Bianca Lynn Breeze
Beloved Madison drag entertainer and producer Bianca Lynn Breeze has spread joy across the Midwest since 2012. A former Miss Gay Wisconsin USofA 2023, Miss Club Wisconsin 2017 and Miss Gay Madison 2017, Bianca blends entertainment with purpose—using her platform to support local nonprofits, celebrate community and create unforgettable experiences on and off the stage through performance and, of course, Bingo!
Explore Fringe Festival Events
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February 28
Saturday
Family Friendly, Free Events, Fringe Festival, Kids in the Rotunda, Variety Mark Hayward
Rotunda Stage
Mark Hayward's performance is a delightful mix of comedy and object manipulation. Using props like yo-yos, tops, juggling equipment and even a mousetrap, he creates a fun and witty show that everyone can enjoy.
Multiple Showtimes -
February 28
Saturday
Free Events, Fringe Festival Fringe Festival: Day 1
Overture Center
All day Saturday, the Fringe spills beyond the stage as Overture transforms into a creative playground. Between performances, enjoy free pop-up acts, immersive experiences, a local art market and food carts serving festival fare to fuel your Fringe hopping—free for all!
11:00 AM -
February 28 - March 8
2025/26 Season, Fringe Festival, Overture Presents, Variety, Visual Arts "Earthlings: Revisited" By Jeanne C. Wilkinson
Rotunda Studio
Free exhibition in Rotunda Studio! Step into artist Jeanne Wilkinson’s “Cloud Tunnel” and immerse yourself in a mesmerizing interplay of shifting images and color.
Multiple Showtimes -
February 28
Saturday
2025/26 Season, Comedy, Fringe Festival, Improv Comedy, Overture Presents Chris Grace: Sardines (a comedy about death)
The Playhouse
After performing his smash-hit show “Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson” last year to an adoring and 100% satisfied audience, Chris Grace is back for Overture Center's second annual Fringe Festival! This time, the actor and comedian is moving from solving racism to solving... death?
2:00 PM -
February 28
Saturday
2025/26 Season, Fringe Festival, Overture Presents, Theater, Variety Dinosaur World Live
Overture Hall
Dare to enter a prehistoric realm where lifelike dinosaurs roar before your eyes. From the mighty T. Rex to the towering Giraffatitan, meet incredible creatures up close in an interactive family show. Don’t miss this thrilling Jurassic adventure live on stage!
3:00 PM -
February 28 - March 1
2025/26 Season, Comedy, Fringe Festival, Improv Comedy, Overture Presents Baby Wants Candy
The Playhouse
They’re back! Prepare for an unforgettable night of spontaneous hilarity as Baby Wants Candy brings you a fully improvised musical—made up on the spot from a single audience suggestion.
Multiple Showtimes -
February 28
Saturday
2025/26 Season, Comedy, Fringe Festival, Overture Presents, Theater, Variety Caitlin Cook - The Writing on the Stall
Promenade Hall
Caitlin Cook's hit bathroom graffiti musical transforms stall scribbles into the lyrics of her original songs and trail markers along her journey in this confessional, immersive and uproarious one-of-a-kind show.
Multiple Showtimes -
February 28
Saturday
2025/26 Season, Comedy, Fringe Festival, Overture Presents, Theater, Variety The Naked Magicians
Capitol Theater
Brace yourself for a magic show like no other! Direct from Las Vegas and London’s West End, Australia’s “The Naked Magicians” deliver world-class illusions and nonstop laughs—while wearing nothing but a top hat and a smile. 18+ only.
7:00 PM -
February 28 - March 1
2025/26 Season, Comedy, Fringe Festival, Improv Comedy, Overture Presents Shamilton
The Playhouse
Join members of famed musical improv group Baby Wants Candy as they create an epic musical on the spot based on a historical celebrity of your choosing—from Genghis Khan to Kim Kardashian.
Multiple Showtimes -
March 1
Sunday
Free Events, Fringe Festival, Variety Fringe Festival: Day 2
Promenade Hall
Sunday only, enjoy additional free local talent acts The Hitterz Collective and Arclight before ticketed performances of “Baby Wants Candy” and “Shamilton.”
2:00 PM