Fertile Ground Festival

New works of theater, dance and comedy fill Portland's stages every year.

1 min read

Oregon Arts Watch

Early birds, script-chasers and workshop-watchers already know: Fertile Ground Festival is where you go to see Portland’s newest performance works first. Produced by the nonprofit Portland Area Theater Alliance (PATA), this annual festival will return April 12-21, 2024.

Fertile Ground Festival is distinct from other cities’ “fringe” fests in two important regards: 1) It only features local producers, and 2) it’s non-juried, waving creators through an open door to access the critics they value most: audiences.

As you might imagine, that means there’s a lot to see. Offerings include theater and dance, along with flourishes of comedy, musical theater, multi-media performances, staged readings and more. Each year, there is way more to see than one person can manage, and stumbling into something on your own that turns out to be fabulous is part of the fun. It also offers an opportunity to experience a variety of local performance spaces, including Brunish Theater, Milagro Theatre, CoHo Theatre and Portland Center Stage at The Armory.

If you like your performance arts like your produce — locally sourced and partially raw — then you’re sure to enjoy Fertile Ground’s bounty.

Events, Festivals, Theater, Winter

Fertile Ground Festival

Virtual Free

Local art enthusiasts know Fertile Ground Festival is where you go to see Portland’s newest performance works first. Produced by the nonprofit Portland Area Theater Alliance (PATA), this festival returns to Portland every January. Fertile Ground is distinct from other cities’ “fringe” fests because it only features local producers and non-juried, waving creators through an…