Garden City Comedy Festival returns
Four-night event gathers 20 comedians
For Niagara Falls comedian David Green, the laughs didn’t really stop during the pandemic. But, they weren’t quite as festive.
For that, you need a festival. And it just so happens Green has one of his own, ready to make its return after a three-year hiatus. That would be the Garden City Comedy Festival, running June 1 to 4 at various locations across St. Catharines.
“We were like the first event to cancel, right before the pandemic,” says Green, who has become one of the region’s most high-profile comics the past decade.
“It hurts, but we just adapted.” Green and other local comedians did several online events during the pandemic, trying to keep the laughs going. But comedy without a live audience is no joke.
As pandemic restrictions loosened this year, Green was thrilled to renew a festival that was just hitting its stride before the plug was pulled. The 2020 event was to be its fourth year.
The festival kicks off June 1 at Mahtay Café with Green, Oren Williamson, Jacob Bergsma, Tom Holman and Jeff Leeson.
The scene shifts to Essential Café & Bakery for Night 2 on June 2 with Levi Mann, Allie Moore, Mitch McBeaudry, Sab Powers and Taylor Grant.
The third night June 3 will be the Badunkafunk Street Party on St. Paul Street, featuring Craig F. Watkins and special guests for a free event. The comics will gather at the rooftop patio of Niagara Artists Centre for a Women’s Place fundraiser. On the bill will be Brie Watson, Tamara Shevon, Cathy Boyd, Keh Dee and Brenda Lennie.
The festival wraps up with its gala night at FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre June 4 with Fiona O’Brien, Zabrina Douglas, Ernie Vicente, Joe Pilliterri and headliner Mike Wilmott.
Despite the forced break, Green says he’s still confident the event could rival some of the top comic festivals in Canada some day.
“That’s the long-term goal,” he says. “The dream when I started was having the Meridian Centre packed one night, Partridge Hall packed the night before, all the venues downtown.
“There’s no reason this can’t be. The talent is here and the venues are here.”
For tickets visit gardencitycomedyfestival.com.