The 79th Edinburgh Festival Fringe is in full swing, taking over the Scottish city’s Old Town and bringing out wonders like live owls and street performers, some brandishing fire or hula hoops, as well as the usual bagpipe players.

This year’s festival, which kicked off on Friday and runs through Aug. 31, features over 4,000 shows, including stand-up and sketch comedy, and several are already generating significant buzz. One production, about Edgar Allan Poe, seems particularly fitting in a city with a haunted reputation.

Below are scenes from around town as visitors poured in for the first weekend of the festival.