Drinks and Food

Fringe Courtyard

June 15-25 @ Club SAW, 67 Nicholas St.

The festival hub will be located in the newly renovated SAW Courtyard at 67 Nicholas St.

It is THE place to meet friends old & new, grab a drink and a bite to eat, share stories and ask “What have you seen? What should I see?”

We are bringing back our free programming series in full force for this year’s festival! See below for events and schedule.

Fringe Courtyard Hours

Monday – Thursday 5:00pm – 1:00am
Friday 5:00pm – 2:00am
Saturday 4:00pm – 2:00am
Sunday 4:00pm – 1:00am

Free Programming

Wednesday 14

Preview Night

Arts Court Theatre & Studio | 7PM

Need help deciding which shows you’re checking out at this year’s Fringe? Join us at Preview Night where performers have two minutes to pitch their show. This event always fills up so get there early! Doors and bar open at 7:00pm. Preview starts at 7:30pm.

Thursday 15

Fringe Karaoke

Fringe Courtyard | 9PM

Kick off the festival with a Fringe favourite event! Hosted by Ottawa legend China Doll, come by the Fringe Courtyard to belt out your fave tunes.

Saturday 17

Smut Slam

Club SAW | 10:30PM

This exciting storytelling open mic—based on real life, real lust, real sex—is coming back to Ottawa Fringe with the theme of “WILD.” Sex without a map. Full-on feral encounters. Go on. Go there. We want your wildest! At Smut Slam, audience members sign up to tell 5-minute, first-person sex stories. For this edition, Fringe artists are the guest judges, awarding sexy prizes to the top 3 tellers at the end of the night. Creator and host Cameryn Moore has a special bucket for your anonymous questions and confessions, and a door prize from njoy toys that’ll knock your socks off. Remember: Smut Slam is queer-friendly, kink-friendly, fat-friendly, poly-friendly, trans-friendly, sex-worker friendly… we’re just REALLY friendly!  This is an 18+ ticketed event.

Friday 23

Silent Disco

Fringe Courtyard | 10PM

It’s back! Join us for the ultimate dance party. Participants will receive a pair of quiet headphones through which they can tune into the Fringe music channel and dance the night away.

Saturday 24

Games Night

Fringe Courtyard | 4-11PM

Hang out with us in the Fringe Courtyard to play some classic oversized board games! Enjoy snacks and refreshments during this chill vibes day as we near the end of the festival.

Sunday 25

Best of Fest

Fringe Lottery Venues | Various Times

On closing night, the Festival’s best selling shows – one from each of the Fringe’s five lottery venues – will stage a round of encore performances. Best of Fest winners will be announced online on Friday, June 23, with the performances serving as a fundraiser for the Ottawa Fringe. 

Studio 1201 7:00PM

Arts Court Theatre 7:30PM

ODD Box 8:00PM

Club SAW 8:30PM

LabO 9:00PM

Sunday 25

Closing Night Awards Party

Arts Court Theatre & Studio | 10PM ’til late

Join artists, audiences, volunteers and staff as we say farewell to the 2023 Ottawa Fringe Festival. Raise a toast to award winners and stay up late for one last night.