sentences:  The 2017 festival, which runs August 3–13, marks the 24th annual festival, the first under the leadership of executive director Dawn Bentley, who assumed this position on April 3, 2017, after former executive director Jeff D. Larson stepped down in October 2016.Minnesota Fringe Festival is a founding member of United States Association of Fringe Festivals (USAFF).The Minnesota Fringe Festival was created as part of a trend of fringe festival establishments in the United States.