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For a relatively small city, New Orleans has a remarkably vibrant and varied performing-arts community. While there are many traditional performance venues around town, one of the most exciting movements in recent years is the fringe theater action along Saint Claude Avenue, in the Bywater neighborhood. The annual Fringe Theater Festival brings pop-up performances, but there are also some permanent venues as well.
Each year in early October, art lovers and people-watchers alike pack galleries and shops along the Lower Garden District and Uptown stretches of Magazine Street for the annual Saturday-evening kickoff to the visual arts season. What's on the walls usually takes a back seat to the party scene, with many businesses offering snacks and pouring drinks.
