Dear Friends, We're delighted to welcome you to the National Comedy Center's 31st Lucille Ball Comedy Festival here in Lucy's hometown, Jamestown, NY.
From our record-breaking headliners, Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias and Taylor Tomlinson , to our Stand-Up Showcase and Comedy Late Night shows featuring top talent from across the country, to our free family comedy and variety show, Lucy legacy events, Tropicana lunches, block parties, live music, lake cruises and more, there is something for everyone during the five days of our festival. This week, we are pleased to cut the ribbon on The George and Jolene Brand Schlatter Theater at the National Comedy Center, which will showcase comedy’s greatest artists and their extraordi- nary work, including a new retrospective on George’s legendary sketch comedy show Laugh-In. Since our last festival, the National Comedy Center was featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The New York Times , and named a "Top 25 Family Weekend Getaway in the U.S." by U.S. News & World Report , joining a prestigious list of national attractions including Walt Disney World and Disneyland. We officially opened Johnny Carson: The Immersive Experience with Hologram Host Jimmy Fallon , featuring Steve Martin, Mel Brooks, Martin Short, Bette Midler, Billy Crystal, Byron Allen, and many more, and we just opened a new display honoring the renowned New York City comedy club Carolines on Broadway and its founder/owner Caroline Hirsch. We recently announced that the National Comedy Center will be the home of comedy icon Joan Rivers' career archive, including her legendary 65,000 joke file, with a new exhibit coming in 2025. A collection from the estate of the beloved Betty White , as well as a collection from the groundbreaking sketch comedy series In Living Color , have recently become a part of the Center's permanent archive – among many rare artifacts and materials received and preserved by our Carl Reiner Department of Archives and Preservation over the past year. There's always something new at the National Comedy Center and the Lucy Desi Museum, so be sure to visit our museums in between festival shows and events, and take some time to explore James- town and beautiful Chautauqua County to experience everything our region has to offer (learn more at TourChautauqua.com). Laugh, enjoy and come back soon.
Journey Gunderson Executive Director National Comedy Center
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