‌ A. Sue Weisler Parts of the 2013 First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival take place at The Little Theater on East Avenue in Rochester.

Rochester Institute of Technology joins artistic forces with a variety of businesses and cultural organizations for the 2013 First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival. Since its debut last year, the event has been extended from five days to 10, and will be held Sept. 19-28 in downtown Rochester’s East End.

RIT is renowned for combining technology and innovation with its strong artistic community—which will come to life with more than 20 performances showcasing an eclectic mix of poetry readings, dance, film, theater, music and visual arts. Most events are free and will take place at Gallery r, 100 College Ave.; Little Theatre I and the Little Café, 240 East Ave.; and Christ Church, 141 East Ave.

Featured on the roster of RIT events: Elekriti Fusion Band and Wild Nights-Play That Funky Music, Encore a cappella, Kinect the Dots dance, film screening of “Crocodile,” storytelling with Howie Lester on Dancing Chickens and Kissing Books, RIT School of Film and Animation Student Honors Show, and a theater production of Israel Horowitz’ Line (now in its 38th year Off-Off Broadway) performed by the RIT Players.

“Rochester is a festival town,” says Zerbe Sodervick, Gallery r director for RIT’s College of Imaging Arts and Sciences. “People come out. They get excited about the arts, and for people who build it into their busy schedules, there’s a huge reward.

“It allows them to enjoy a dance performance, live theater, a poetry reading, or the creative efforts of a painter, sculptor and photographer who exhibit their work. The Fringe Fest goes beyond what you see and becomes an extraordinary learning experience and a sharing of events.”

For a schedule of RIT Fringe events, go to www.rit.edu/fringefest. Or contact RIT Director of Special Events, Lynn Rowoth, at 585-475-7408 or lynn.rowoth@rit.edu.