The lowdown

Fringe festivals are a celebration of alternative art -- stuff that is on the fringes of mainstream. Think one-man shows, fire-eating circus acts and actors in cartoon masks.

Money from ticket sales goes back to the performers.

Venues

There are 16 Rogue venues, mostly in the Tower District; a few are in downtown Fresno. Venues are broken into main stages, for the bigger shows, and cafe venues, for more intimate events. The "bring your own venues" sit on the fringe of the fringe and include places such as Audie's Olympic, Frank's Place, Tokyo Garden. A full list of venues is available at the Rogue festival website, roguefestival.com.

Times and prices

The festival runs through Saturday, with performances at various times. A full schedule of all the events -- dubbed the Rogue Map -- is available in PDF online and at Rogue venues. Shows start on time. Some don't allow latecomers; others let people in only within the first 15 minutes, so check your Rogue map before heading out.

Shows cost anywhere from $3 to $10, depending on the performance, but tickets are not sold at the door. Instead, you buy Rogue Bucks (with cash or credit card) from one of three ticket hubs -- Tower Theater Box office, Landmark and Livingstone's. Those can then be traded for admission to a show. Rogue tickets sites are open 5-10 p.m. today-Friday and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday.

New this year

VIP weekend passes, which cost $75 per person and get you into any show.

Also, the Rogue Store is open at Studio 74 on Van Ness Avenue just north of Olive.