Ithaca, NY · Year One · USAFF Member
Old Greeny
Fringe Festival
A week-long celebration of the weird, wacky, and whimsical — rooted in the legend of Old Greeny, the cryptid of Cayuga Lake.
About The Festival
Ithaca's largest-ever community fringe festival.
Old Greeny Fringe Festival activated traditional and non-traditional venues across the Ithaca waterfront through performances, installations, storytelling, and community events — spanning music, theatre, dance, circus, drag, comedy, film, and more.
With a strong commitment to sustainability, accessibility, and local culture, OGFF brought together 30+ community partners, independent artists from across the country, and dozens of local organizations to build something entirely new from the ground up.
"Something the city of Ithaca had not seen in nearly a decade."
— Connor Smith
The festival supported independent artists to self-produce and showcase original work, prioritizing community engagement and boundary-pushing artistic expression at every turn.
A proud member of the USA Fringe Festival (USAFF) network, OGFF joins a national community of fringe festivals dedicated to celebrating independent art.
The Legend
Do you believe in Old Greeny?
Old Greeny is a cryptid inhabiting Cayuga Lake, with sightings dating back to the late 1800s. Fishermen and locals have described "a great serpent" — a creature with "a head here. A tail there." No one ever brings back proof.
Whether interpreted as guardian, warning, or natural phenomenon, the legend frames the lake as alive — and every visitor as a temporary observer in something much older than themselves. The festival lives in that same spirit: weird, untamed, and just beyond explanation.
"It's really all about connection and being exposed to new things, and we're trying to provide as many spaces and free spaces … for people to come together."
— Connor Smith, The Ithacan
By The Numbers
Year One Results
Attendees
Shows & Events
Performers
Venues
Online Views
Days
Programming
Something for everyone along the waterfront.
OGFF programming spanned genres, age groups, and formats — from 15-minute micro-performances to full evening shows. Free events, an outdoor family movie night, workshops, venue tours, and late-night after-parties ran alongside the main program across 15 venues on the Cayuga Lake waterfront trail.
Family Programming
10 family-friendly events
Dedicated programming for all ages, including an outdoor family movie night and a closing celebration with vendors, food trucks, live music, and crafts.
Free Events
Accessible to everyone
A portion of programming was fully free and open to the public.
OG After-Parties
Late-night festival culture
Official after-parties kept the energy going into the night across festival venues.
Artist Support
Self-produced independent work
Artists were supported to self-produce and present original work on their own terms.
Festival Photos
Support
Funders & Sponsors
OGFF was made possible through the generous support of public arts funding, local businesses, and Ithaca institutions.
Primary Funders
Primary Producer
Ithaca College South Hill Entertainment
This festival was first produced by South Hill Entertainment.
New York State Council on the Arts
Statewide Community Regrant program, administered by Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County
Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County
Regional arts administrator and festival supporter
Tompkins County Tourism Program
County-level tourism and cultural events funder
Guthrie
Dedicated to providing high-quality and accessible health care that meets the needs of the entire family in NY and PA.
Vie Cycle
Building confidence, competence and community through interactive workshops and events.
Additional Sponsors
Community
30+ Community Partners
OGFF was built on the Ithaca community. Local businesses, nonprofits, and institutions that helped bring the festival to life:
What's Next
Year Two is Coming.
Old Greeny lives. Stay tuned for updates on what's next for the festival — or get in touch to get involved.