Rogue’s back in Tower District. Your easy guide to annual Fresno performance festival

Finding a central theme within the Rogue festival is a difficult proposition, given the 190 unique artistic performances happening over its six-day annual run.

That’s everything from theater and dance to music, improv, comedy, storytelling, performance art, magic and things the festival’s press describes as “too strange to accurately describe.”

“The Rogue is an opportunity to see performances that are unique, daring and utterly unlike anything you’ll see for the rest of the year,” says Jaguar Bennett, a longtime performer and board president who is the lead producer for this year’s festival that kicks off Friday and runs through March 9.

Organizers are evangelical about the benefits of Rogue, Bennett says, and want everyone to come and try something new. With that in mind, Bennett offers some tips and tricks on how to best enjoy the experience.

Parking in the Tower District

For more than two decades, the Rogue Festival has been inextricably tied to the venues within Fresno’s Tower District neighborhood.

This year, there are nine performances spaces, all situated within walking distance from the Tower’s main commercial strip on Olive Avenue.

That’s something to take advance notice of, Bennett says.

“Trying to do the Fresno thing of moving your car from one venue to another is a recipe for frustration,” he says.

“Accept with your heart and soul the eternal spiritual truth that the Tower District is a pedestrian-centered neighborhood and park your car once.”

The best bet is to park on a periphery side street and walk. Your car will be perfectly fine, Bennett says, unless you make yourself a target by leaving packages on the front seat.

Get Rogue wristband before buying tickets

There are some things to know before you head out to performances. They can be found in the “How to Rogue” section in the festival’s annual program, which is available for download online and in old-school paper form at most businesses in the Tower District.

The quick takeaways: Make sure you have a Rogue wristband. It’s a one-time $6 charge made before buying tickets to individual performances.

For that, the festival makes money so it can continue to operate — and guests get Rogue specials from several neighborhood bars and restaurants.

“Present your Rogue wristband to your server,” Bennett says.

“See what it gets you.”

Tickets to individual performances can be purchased in advance online or at the specific venues. Cash will be accepted only at The Rogue Store (situated in the Component Coffee parking lot) or at off-Rogue venues (Hart’s Haven, LAByrinth Art Collective).

Venue tickets go on sale 30 minutes before each showtime.

If you absolutely must see a show, don’t wait until the last minute to buy tickets, Bennett says. If you want a good seat, show up early.

All seating is general seating. So, first-come, first-served.

Hard-core Roguing

Just how many performances one tries to see during the festival’s run will depend on a person’s dedication and stamina.

There are four performance slots each weekday (March 1, 7 and 8). A normal person could see two shows on each of those days, with time for dinner and drinks, Bennett says.

On weekends, shows start at 12:30 p.m. and run well into the evening.

You could comfortably see three to five performance on those days, “while taking some time for lunch, dinner and cocktails.”

“If you really want to max out,” Bennett says, “you can go from show to show to show all day long.”

There is a half-hour break between shows, which is plenty of time to get from one venue to another.

Some die-hard Roguers will just plant themselves at a different venue each day.

Those who plan of seeing a lot of performances, can save money with a 10-show ticket pass. At $120, it’s essentially a $30 discount if fully used.

Passes are available at The Rogue store.

Trust the wisdom of the audience

Among the details in the Rogue program, there is a genre type listed for each performance.

This is useful information when choosing performances to see, Bennett says.

“It’s a safe bet that if there’s a certain show you’re looking for, you will like what you’ll find at the Rogue,” he says. “If you like comedy, you’ll love Rogue comedy. If you like music, you’ll love Rogue music.”

Also pay attention to the movie-style content ratings, which range from G (suitable for all ages) to adults only.

“If you’re looking for something fun to see with your kids, we’ve got that,” Bennett says.

“If you’re looking for something bawdy and challenging, we’ve got that, too.”

Of course, you can also just put your trust in the “wisdom of the audience,” and look out for the shows getting good buzz.

Audience reviews are posted on the Rogue website and in its daily e-newsletter reports about which shows are getting large audiences.

Organizers also push that information out through social media pages on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

“It’s also fun to talk to your fellow Rogue patrons,” Bennett says.

“Strike up conversations with people in line or anyone you see with a Rogue program or T-shirt. Ask what shows they’ve seen, what they’ve enjoyed and what they recommend.”

The Rogue Rule of Four

Bennett has his own formula for picking which performances to see. He call it the Rogue Rule of Four and it works like this:

• See one show you know you will love.

• See one show in a genre or style with which you are unfamiliar.

• See one show you are absolutely sure you’re going to hate. You may be very pleasantly surprised.

• See one show that challenges you and makes you uncomfortable. You’re tougher than you think, Bennett says.