If you’re looking for a way to get your mind off soaring temperatures, remember that July marks the return of one of Washington’s summer delights: the Capital Fringe Festival. Running from Thursday until July 29, this is the seventh year the Capital Fringe Festival has presented comedy, drama, musical theater, puppetry and the spoken word.

Last year, the festival sold 28,000 tickets to 715 performances from 127 productions. In terms of national unjuried fringe festivals, Washington’s is second only to the Minnesota Festival.