Want to adopt a porta-potty? Edmonton Fringe festival campaign flush with donors

Fakiha Baig · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 22, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

One of North America's largest Fringe festivals says a caller fundraising run that lets donors "adopt" and past sanction a portable toilet has helped forestall the lawsuit from getting dumped.

The enforcement manager of the Edmonton Fringe Festival says the outgo of astir of its porta-potties, acceptable to beryllium erected crossed streets and parks during the 11-day lawsuit successful August, is being offset by donors participating successful its Adopt A Porta-Potty campaign.

"I don't deliberation it's precise often that I get excited astir a porta-potty, but this decidedly makes it much breathtaking than your regular porta-potty visit," said Megan Dart, the festival's enforcement director.

"The effect has been truly heartwarming, hilarious and we're truthful grateful that Fringers person the aforesaid consciousness of humour that we do."

Dart said festival organizers launched the run successful April, asking radical to donate $250 for each mobile toilet needed for the festival, and they person since felt flushed by the support.

She said the run allows donors to sanction the porta-potty aft they "adopt" it.

LISTEN | Support the arts by getting a porta-potty named aft you: 

"We person porta-potties that person been named successful honour of past technicians who worked successful the festival and cardinal folks successful our community," she said, noting 1 that volition beryllium called Darcy Turlock, a longtime method director.

The names of the porta-potties volition beryllium stamped connected signs connected the extracurricular and wrong of their doors.

Plans to bent disco balls from the extortion wrong the mobile toilets person besides been suggested by organizers, but Dart said thing is confirmed.

Dart said the run volition besides screen the outgo of the festival's hand-washing stations and the eventual removal of the porta-potties.

"It genuinely does assistance america nutrient the largest, longest moving Fringe theatre festival successful North America," Dart said of the 44th Fringe festival successful Edmonton. "We privation to marque definite that we're present for generations to come."

She said the COVID-19 pandemic and affordability situation person changed assemblage behaviours and made it hard for Fringe festivals crossed Canada to support the lights on.

In March, the Regina International Fringe Festival (RIFF) announced this summer's fringe has been cancelled, but is to instrumentality adjacent year.

The curtain fell connected this year's RIFF due to the fact that the enactment missed the deadline for a ample assistance and learned 1 of its premier venues would beryllium nether renovation, board subordinate William Hales said.

Edmonton's festival is acceptable to spot 200 autarkic theatre productions and 1,600 artists this summer.

Dart said she expects each 35 porta-potties to beryllium adopted by the clip the festival kicks disconnected successful August. 

But if the fundraising effort is excessively crass for immoderate donors, she said they tin besides lend done different Fringe fundraising campaigns.