CFF aimed to provide a space for artists to produce shows that would not otherwise be seen and a festival that was accessible to everyone.

After producing shows at the New York International Fringe Festival and Minnesota Fringe Festival, Executive Producer Sarah Mikayla Brown (previously Managing Director of Tantalus Theatre Group) wanted to bring that kind of "glorious chaos" to Chicago.

A total of 46 groups (23 local and 23 non-local) performed in eight non-traditional venues in Pilsen in September, 2010.

After three years in Pilsen, CFF moved to Jefferson Park [2] for the 2013 festival.

The festival ended programming in 2019 after 10 years of performances.