Brace yourself for some grassroots fun as Rogue 2025 is finally upon us. This now famous fringe festival was founded in 2002 and, through grit and glory, is hailed as one of the oldest and most respected fringe festivals in North America—all right here in Fresno. After surviving the Covid hardship, the festival is now more resilient than ever and ready to rock and roll.
Things kicked off at the end of February, with the Rogue Teaser Show at Gazebo Gardens and the start of the festival on Feb. 28. The festival consists of two consecutive weekends of live performance shows of independent artists with about 40 performing groups and nine venues—six days of “theater, music, dance, improv, comedy, storytelling, performance art, magic and more.” There’s an annual poetry slam contest, the Beatdown Slam, on March 3 and more distinct performances beginning the following Thursday and throughout the weekend.
You never know who or what to expect at the Rogue—from national and international touring performers to local guys who just really know how to put on a great show.
According to a festival press release, the Rogue is an “uncurated, unjuried, uncensored festival—performers are selected through a random lottery and there are no restrictions on what performers can say or do.” The Rogue Festival stands firm for unrestricted artistic expression and celebrates the power of art freedom.
What’s exciting this year is a new Rogue executive producer. Meet Yolanda Serrato, a true “lover of arts,” who has been volunteering with the Rogue since 2011. She herself is not a performer but instead a fantastic supporter. She has volunteered for practically every role in the Rogue, and when someone joked about who wanted to take over the behemoth job at a meeting last year, she shot back with, “Why not?” I’ll try it, she thought. “I’ve done everything else—somebody’s got to do it.”
But they are big shoes to fill. Rogue’s last executive producer, Jaguar Bennett, is a longtime Rogue pillar who was delighted to hand over the reins this year so that he could focus more on his artistry. Bennett is a stand-up comedian and a Rogue regular. His shows are typically sold out at the festival.
“Jaguar’s show is one where I’ll pay for in advance to guarantee a seat, and I’m so excited to see him this year,” Serrato shares. “Eye-opening and funny.”
Volunteers at the Rogue are busy during the festival and it can be hard to catch a show, but they make the time somehow. It’s great to see real artistry at the Rogue—and it’s also a fun time.
Serrato recalls how she learned about the Rogue almost two decades ago. She was invited to go see a friend perform and was amazed that she had never before heard about this cool festival happening in the Tower District. She immediately fell in love and has volunteered ever since.
In a heartfelt message written in this year’s program pamphlet, Serrato writes, “The Rogue Festival has also lasted this long because of the intense dedication and support of the Fresno community. It is you, the audience, who have made the Rogue Festival one of the most successful arts events in Fresno history by continuing to come back year after year.”
Bennett agrees and understands the powerful connection between performer and audience.
“We want to empower artists and audiences and to facilitate a direct connection between the two. There is no ‘middleman’ at the Rogue.” In fact, all ticket proceeds for each show go directly to the performers.
“We don’t curate, we don’t vet, we don’t edit and we don’t censor,” Bennett emphasizes. “We provide artists with a space to perform, and we let audiences decide what it all means—period.”
Serrato knows their grassroots festival is unique. “Rogue shows a different side of Fresno. Our festival is very friendly—a friendlier festival—and people seem happier to attend.”
But she also recognizes that the festival is entirely run by volunteers, which can be a challenge. “People forget that we work too. We are all volunteers. We do not get paid to do this job,” she notes. “We do it because we love it.” And there is always a need for more volunteers.
“Those that are involved in Rogue really need to be involved, especially if they have ‘opinions,’” Serrato jokes. “We always need more volunteers. It’s nice to have more people to utilize and help cover shows.”
Serrato calls her volunteer crew her “secret ingredient,” a great team who “work their butts off to do the thousand and one background tasks that make the Rogue possible.”
Her goal for Rogue 2025 is to spread the word about the festival well outside of the Tower District. Serrato wants to promote the Rogue everywhere in Fresno County. She envisions a Fresno where everyone knows about the festival and can experience it. She is still amazed to this day to meet people within the Tower District who have no idea about it.
“The goal is to get people to learn more about different types of performing arts, how to express themselves. At the Rogue, local and out-of-town artists get more exposure and audience members enjoy themselves—a win-win for everyone.”
Serrato’s most memorable show was seeing a 79-year-old burlesque dancer. She’s seen everything at the Rogue, from the sweetest show ever to the “very weirdest, craziest-but-loved-it kind of show” on the planet. There’s truly something for everyone.
This year’s muse for the festival is the beautiful Galatea by local artist Kristina Störk. Serrato says it seems “Towery,” a perfect fit for Rogue. “No restrictions to it, open for your own interpretation—very open.” Yes, very open indeed. It even shows a nipple—something that makes it challenging to share on social media due to rules against nudity. But the Rogue is not scared of social media.
“It’s not our job to tell anyone what to say, who to listen to, what to hear or what to think,” Bennett emphasizes. “We hope you are entertained at the Rogue, but we also want you to get a little upset. We want to shake your confidence, unsettle you, horrify you, irritate you, show you the world from a perspective you’ve never dreamed of.”
That’s a tall order, but it happens every year at Fresno’s Rogue Performance Festival. It’s a fun time. Learn more at fresnoroguefestival.org.
