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The scene at the Festival Bar on opening night. (Photo by Kevin Monko, courtesy Fringe Festival)

The Live Arts & Philly Fringe Festivals are going strong heading into their final weekend.

There are still new shows opening over the next couple of days, as well as the closing performances of longer-running shows. So if you haven’t had your fill of Festival-going yet, there’s still time!

And then there’s the Festival Bar. Whether you’re a big fan of experimental performance who’s already seen 20 shows in the past 2 weeks, or someone who’s only overheard talk of this “Festival” thing, checking out the Festival Bar is a must.

It’s a cavernous space filled with awesome art installations — from fabric chandeliers hanging from the ceiling to trippy video projections. The unique bar only exists for the two weeks of the Festival (which ends this Saturday!), and then will be gone for good — hibernating and plotting its metamorphosis for next year’s incarnation.

The bar, which is at the SW corner of Spring Garden and Columbus Boulevard in Northern Liberties (club kids might know the venue as the old Club Egypt), is a cabaret, movie theater, and stage during the week, and picks up more of a club vibe on the weekends.

Each night has some kind of special programming, which you can find out about at the bar’s website.

The bar will open earlier than usual tonight, Thursday, with a DJ’d kick-off party for Philadelphia Open Studio Tours starting at 8. Friday night will be a dance party with DJ/VJ Yakov, and Saturday’s closing night party will be a raucous evening with a live set by Peter Dragontail (click here and scroll to the bottom of the page for his mind-boggling bio. Apparently he “has a tale so long it would make Tolstoy jealous”).

Don’t let this year’s Festival pass you by without a visit to the Festival Bar!

Festival Bar
21+/no cover/cash only
Doors open at 9pm weekdays, 10pm weekends
SW corner of Spring Garden and Columbus Boulevard (formerly Club Egypt) in Northern Liberties
One block east of the 2nd and Spring Garden Market/Frankford subway stop

2010 Philadelphia Live Arts and Philly Fringe Festival
Through Sept. 18th