Curated Fringe Weekend – by and for the Blind and Low Vision Community!
The 2025 Vancouver Fringe Festival is back from September 4 to 14, with dozens of exciting productions across Granville Island. This year, VocalEye and the Vancouver Fringe Fest have partnered once again, making it accessible to enjoy a Fringe adventure with curated days hosted by members of our Blind and Low Vision community.
What to expect
VocalEye’s Curated Fringe Weekend is your all-in-one festival adventure. Each day offers a lineup of shows, hand-picked by our Community Curators (Kristy Kassie and Deb Fong), with VocalEye description.
Saturday, September 13
Curated and hosted by Kristy Kassie
- A full day of 3 shows
- Dinner at Tap and Barrel (VocalEye is treating everyone to appetizers!)
Sunday, September 14
Curated and hosted by Deb Fong
- A full day of 4 shows
- Includes a 1-hour snack break with hearty light fare provided by VocalEye (not a full meal, but more than just snacks)
Tickets
Access the Fringe with VocalEye and enjoy free admission to all Curated Fringe Weekend shows on Saturday, September 13 and Sunday, September 14 (detailed schedule below). Seating is limited and available while tickets last. We encourage patrons to attend all shows on their chosen day. VocalEye members will have priority seating and be permitted into venues before the public, for rest, or in case of poor weather.
👉 Registration is required by Wednesday, September 10. Please book your tickets using the link below, or contact Amy Amantea by email amy@vocaleye.ca or phone 604-763-2695. Once registered, you’ll receive day-of details that include meet-up and venue information. Theatre Buddy Sighted Guides are available upon request.
Curated Fringe Weekend Schedule
Experience the magic of the Fringe Fest with community!
Saturday, September 13 (Curated by Kristy Kassie)
12:45 pm Love, Sharks & Frenching: a hot date with Lou Laurence
Venue: Waterfront Theatre Run Time: 60 mins
2:30 pm Erika the Red
Venue: Waterfront Theatre Run Time: 60 mins
4:15 pm My Friend Fritz
Venue: Arts Umbrella Studio Run Time: 60 mins
5:30 pm Social at Tap and Barrel
Sunday, September 14 (Curated by Deb Fong)
12:30 pm A Moment With T, the Solo Traveler
Venue: Arts Umbrella Mainstage Run Time: 45 mins
2:00 pm Eat It Anyway
Venue: Arts Umbrella Mainstage Run Time: 55 mins
3:00 pm FOOD/ SNACK BREAK (50 mins)
4:00 pm BRAIN
Venue: The Improv Centre Run Time: 60 mins
5:45 pm Brunch: A Comedy Show
Venue: The Improv Centre Run Time: 60 mins
Meet the Curators
Our Fringe Curators have been busy attending shows and designing a diverse and exciting lineup just for you! Here’s a bit about them:
Deborah Fong has been a member of the Mainstreeters, an artists collective involved with performances, multimedia and visual arts in the past. Previously, she worked in the communications field as a graphic designer, editor, and writer for over 35 years. Deb became legally-blind 15 years ago. Since then, she has worked with VocalEye at five Vancouver Fringe Festivals as an accessibility consultant where she wrote KickAss reviews that included how accessible productions, venues and logistics were for blind or low vision patrons.
Kristy Kassie is a partially-sighted theatre enthusiast who loves the diversity of the people and the shows at Vancouver Fringe. Join her on
September 14 for some light-hearted romance, a Viking saga and a tale of a giant rat disrupting a garden and life in general.
Vancouver Fringe Festival
The Vancouver Fringe Theatre Society was formed in 1983 by a group of local artists who had a common goal: to provide a platform for independent artists. The society held its first Fringe Festival in 1985. We now hold the annual Vancouver Fringe Festival every September.
The Vancouver Fringe has operated on and around Granville Island since 2001. Over 11 days, we showcase unique art and create a community where everyone is united by a shared love for the art of performance. Today the festival sees 12,000 attendees and is facilitated by over 350 volunteers who graciously support the Fringe. Our Fringe is a place where lifelong friendships and connections are formed, whether you’re mingling at the Fringe bar or queuing up for a show.
The Fringe movement started in Edinburgh in 1947 as an uncurated festival where anyone could be an artist. Fringes came to North America in 1982, first in Edmonton AB, and then Vancouver in 1985. Canadian Fringes now select the participating artists by a lottery draw. This method aims to reduce gatekeeping, improve equity, and create space for independent artists. Canadian Fringe Festivals are all part of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals, a membership organization that holds the trademark for the word ‘Fringe’ in Canada and supports the 32 Member Festivals across Canada and the USA.
