Comedy Festival expands to four nights
If it’s spring, it’s time for the Garden City Comedy Festival to again bloom.
And as part of founder David Green’s long-term plan, it’ll be bigger, better and likely funnier. He recalls the first year when he was paying out of pocket to make lanyards and scraping whatever he could to put on a three-day fest in St. Catharines.
This year he’s a step closer to his goal — award-winning comics spread over four nights in multiple venues.
“I had the vision of what I wanted to bring to the city and what it could be long term,” says the veteran Niagara comic. “I see how it’s grown slowly every year.”
This year’s fest runs May 24 to 27 with 20 comics, including Mark Little, Crystal Ferrier and Martha Chaves, who’ll headline the festclosing Gala Night at FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.
May 24 will be the music-themed Jukebox Jitters night at Mahtay Café, May 25 will be Under the Stars on the roof of Niagara Artists Centre. The laughs return to NAC May 26 for Laughter From the Rooftop — a fundraiser for Birchway Niagara (the former Women’s Place of Niagara shelter).
As always, Green has gathered a mix of local and national talent, and the names get more prominent every year. Little played the science teacher Simon Hunt on the CBC sitcom “Mr. D,” while Chaves won the Canadian Comedy Award for Best Standup Comic of 2017.
The festival was on an upward slope until 2020 when it was among the first major local events to get cancelled when the pandemic was declared.
“To be honest, I’m kind of glad it was shut down,” says Green. “Tickets were not selling as well as they should have been because everyone was terrified.”
Now the event is back on track, Green sees one major goal as reachable — bringing it to Meridian Centre soon.
“Jerry Seinfeld performed there,” he says. “We have the venues, we have the talent, we’re just building the following to be able to do that.”
Norm MacDonald was high on Green’s list to bring to the festival until the Canadian comic’s death in 2021. His wish list now includes Brian Regan and Tom Green.
Tickets for the 2023 festival are $20 each for May 24, 25 and 26 and $40 for the May 27 gala. Visit gardencitycomedyfestival.com.