Castlemaine Fringe Festival traditionally runs parallel to the Castlemaine State Festival, providing an affordable program of cultural and community events and an opportunity for local, established, and emerging creatives to be seen and celebrated. Run biannually, Castlemaine Fringe Festival is an independent festival is run on the commitment of volunteers, loads of community support and goodwill, and very limited financial budgets. In addition to the Festival itself, Fringe conducts and auspices ad hoc events, programs and fundraising activities throughout the year, including Film Premieres, Art Auctions, Winter Warmers and the Fantastico! Variety Show. The Fringe Thing Inc (Castlemaine Fringe Festival) was established in 1992 with the specific goals to: * Encourage alternative and local musical, performing and visual arts in the Central Victorian Region. * Provide community access to a diverse range of cultural and artistic experiences. * Promote opportunities for musicians, performers and artists to perform or exhibit. * Enhance the health, welfare and wellbeing of our community through engagement in cultural and artistic experiences. Castlemaine Fringe (Fringe) events are held on the lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung People, and we pay our respects to the traditional owners of the land, to the local elders and emerging leaders. We celebrate the rich cultural heritage of this country and acknowledge that their sovereignty was never ceded.