Town squares to host festivities

IF YOU’ve never seen a circus tent in the Town Squares, you will for this year’s Naracoorte Fringe Street Party on Saturday, March 14.

The 2026 Naracoorte Fringe Street Party is set to be the biggest and best yet with a new twilight event from 4-8pm featuring a jam-packed schedule of shows in a pop-up circus tent, circus workshops for the kids, roving entertainment, stage performers, buskers and 20 food and market stalls.

The free, family-friendly annual event proudly brought to you by Naracoorte Lucindale Council has this year been lucky enough to secure a one-off stimulus package through the SA Tourism Commission’s Drought Relief Regional Event Fund to bring elements of the internationally renowned Adelaide Fringe Festival to Naracoorte.

With the event moving to twilight hours and with recently installed festoon lighting adding to the atmosphere in the Town Squares, it’ll be like our very own ‘Garden of Unearthly Delights’ in the centre of town.

Programmed and presented by Adelaide’s acclaimed Bamboozled Productions, the biggest wow factor at this year’s Naracoorte Fringe will undoubtedly be the 7m wide and 4.5m high pop-up circus tent that will be set up in MacIntosh Square near the Sound Shell.

Known as ‘The Pocket’, the circus tent will bring 8×15-minute shows to the Naracoorte Fringe including the ‘strongest people in the world’ in Sergei and Tatiana; contortionist, acrobat and comedian Miss Kiki; juggler and unicyclist The Great Dave; and balancing extraordinaire Gemima Jones.

With its stand-out retro colour scheme and mid-century styling, ‘The Pocket’ can seat up to 80 people in air-conditioned comfort.

Stage performers in the Sound Shell will include the masterful father and son duo of the Bam Wow Amazing Show, soulful singer Laura Hill, and Swingtime Duo, which will perform some of your favourite songs from 1900 through to 2024.

Roving artists will be the perfectly poised and effortlessly enchanting Flower Squad and the adorable duo of the Swag Muppets.

Free circus workshops for kids and the young at heart are also sure to be a big hit at this year’s Naracoorte Fringe, with a professional circus performer on hand with a variety of circus equipment including juggling balls, spinning plates, flower sticks, balance sticks, handheld stilts and hula hoops.

A fabulous array of 20 food and market stalls will be spread across the Town Squares with something for everyone.

For the food lovers, there will be everything from Turkish, Sri Lankan and Vietnamese foods to festival favourites like donuts, bubble tea, strawberries and cream, pancakes, potato twisters, fairy floss, popcorn, hot dogs and coffee.

Market stallholders will feature handmade arts and crafts – including jewellery and giftware – sweet treats, airbrush tattoos for the kids and even dehydrated dog and cat treats for your furry friends.

Local buskers from Stringybach Music in Naracoorte will add to the festive atmosphere in the Town Squares for the event.

The stage is set for the 6th annual Naracoorte Fringe Street Party, so mark the date on your calendar, pack up your picnic rug and chair, and get ready to enjoy all the fun of the Fringe right here on your doorstep.

Keep an eye on Naracoorte Lucindale Council’s official Facebook page @naracoortelucindalecouncil for more updates, including the day’s program.

Images: Exterior and interior of ‘The Pocket’ pop-up circus tent, ‘the strongest people in the world’ Sergei and Tatiana, the Swag Muppets, juggler The Great Dave, and balancing marvel Gemima Jones.