LaughFest: Your Funniest Week Yet
Mar 05, 2018 10:00AM ● By WLMagazine
Gilda’s LaughFest floods the days between March 8 and 18 with enough comedy showcases, exhibits, workshops, activities and shows for every funny bone in the city. Use this guide to find the things that put you in a laughing mood, from unforgettable ticketed shows to an enormous amount of free events that are guaranteed to crack smiles and split sides all 10 days of the festival.
Ticketed Laughs
Laughter worth the price with shows starting at $7. Purchase tickets at Laughfestgr.org.
Stand-Up
March 9
Clean Comedy Showcase & Dinner | The B.O.B. 3rd Floor, 6 p.m. | $35
Clean Comedy Showcase II | The B.O.B. Dr. Grin’s, 7 p.m. | $20
Ron Funches | Vander Mill GR, 7 and 9:30 p.m. | $25
Clean Comedy Showcase II | The B.O.B. 3rd Floor, 9:30 p.m. | $20
March 10
Clean Comedy Showcase II & Dinner | The B.O.B. 3rd Floor, 6 p.m. | $35
LaughFest Signature Event with Trevor Noah | DeVos Place, 5:30 (dinner) and 8 p.m. (show) | $250
“Weird Al” Yankovic – Ridiculously Self-Indulgent & Ill Advised | 20 Monroe Live, 8 p.m. | $39.50-$85
Maria Bamford | Wealthy Theatre, 8 and 10 p.m. | $32
Clean Comedy Showcase I | The B.O.B. 3rd Floor, 9:30 p.m. | $20
Clean Comedy Showcase II | The B.O.B. Dr. Grin’s, 9:30 p.m. | $20
LaughFest’s Best | Pyramid Scheme, 11:59 p.m. | $10
March 15
Best of the Midwest | The B.O.B. 3rd Floor and Dr. Grin’s, 7 p.m. | $15
Cameron Esposito | Pyramid Scheme, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. | $20
March 16
National Stand-Up Comedy Showcase & Dinner | The B.O.B. 3rd Floor, 6 p.m. | $35
Greg Hahn | Larkin’s The Other Place in Lowell, 7 p.m. | $22.50
National Stand-Up Comedy Showcase | The B.O.B. Dr. Grin’s, 7 p.m. | $20
Cameron Esposito (again!) | Pyramid Scheme, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. | $20
Bert Kreischer | Fountain Street Church, 8 p.m. | $27.50-$32.50
National Stand-Up Comedy Showcase | The B.O.B. 3rd Floor, 9:30 p.m. | $20
Dirty Show | Pyramid Scheme, 11:59 p.m. | $10
March 17
Rik Roberts | Fountain Street Church, 2 p.m. | $22.50
National Stand-Up Comedy Showcase & Dinner | The B.O.B. 3rd Floor, 6 p.m. | $35
National Stand-Up Comedy Showcase | The B.O.B. Dr. Grin’s, 7 and 9:30 p.m. | $20
Anjelah Johnson | Fountain Street Church, 8 p.m. | $30-$65
National Stand-Up Comedy Showcase |The B.O.B. 3rd Floor, 9:30 p.m. | $20
LaughFest’s Best | Pyramid Scheme,11:59 p.m. | $10
March 18
Tiffany Haddish | Fountain Street Church, 8 p.m. | $30-$50
Improv/Shows
March 9
Pop Scholars | Wealthy Theatre, 8 p.m. | $12
Warm Cheese by Teresa Thome | Dog Story Theater, 8 p.m. | $20
March 10
Warm Cheese by Teresa Thome | Dog Story Theater, 2 p.m. | $20
River City Improv | Ladies Literary Club, 7:33 p.m. | $12.50
March 17
River City Improv | Ladies Literary Club, 7:33 p.m. | $12.50
Get Moving
March 10
Kids Rock Hip Hop Dance Party | The B.O.B. HOME, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. | $7
March 11
FUNderwear Run | New Holland: The Knickerbocker, 12:30 p.m. | Registration $25 at Laughfestgr.org
March 17
Super Saturday Kids Zone | GRCC Ford Fieldhouse, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | $7
The Free Stuff
No tickets or cover required because “laughter” is a medicine that doesn't need insurance.
Stand-Up
March 9
Comedian Ricco & Friends Grand Rapids African American Museum & Archives (GRAAMA), 7:30 p.m.
March 10
LaughFest Stand-Up Showcase | LINC, 5 and 7 p.m.
LaughFest Stand-Up Showcase | Pyramid Scheme, 7 p.m.
LaughFest Stand-Up Showcase | Vander Mill GR, 7 and 9:30 p.m.
March 11
LaughFest College Stand-Up Showcase | The B.O.B. 3rd Floor and Dr. Grin’s, 7:15 p.m.
Sunday Night Funnies | Woody’s Press Box at Spectrum Lanes, 8:30 p.m.
March 13
Drew Lynch | Loosemore Auditorium, 8 p.m.
March 15
LaughFest Stand-Up Showcase | The B.O.B. 3rd Floor and Dr. Grin’s, 9:30 p.m.
March 16
LaughFest Stand-Up Showcase | LINC, 5 and 7 p.m.
LaughFest First Timers Stand-Up Showcase | The B.O.B. Dr. Grin’s, 9:30 p.m.
March 17
LaughFest Stand-Up Showcase Vander Mill GR, 7 and 9:30 p.m
Improv/Shows
March 8
Crawlspace, Eviction, Late Night GR and SOFA | Dog Story Theater, 8 p.m.
March 10
LaughFest Sketch/Improv Showcase | Dog Story Theater, 5 p.m.
Piebenga Plumbing, MARS and Hot Lava | Dog Story Theater, 8 p.m.
March 11
LaughFest Sketch/Improv Showcase | Dog Story Theater, 5 p.m.
March 12
News Flash, Best Friends, No Outlet and With the Dark | Dog Story Theater, 7 p.m.
Tonight Tonight: Late Night Talk Show | The Holiday Bar, 8 p.m.
March 15
Comedy Eventually, Funny Girls and Don’t We Boys | Dog Story Theater, 8 p.m.
March 16
Take it to the MAT: Stories & Songs from Master Arts | Master Arts Theatre, 6:30 p.m.
Plant Parenthood, Empanada Grande and Cash & Carry| Dog Story Theater, 8 p.m.
The Laugh Riot Dolls Feat. Boy Toys | Vander Mill GR, 9:30 p.m.
March 17
Creative Youth Center’s Characters that Lived, Encore | Dog Story Theater, 1 and 3 p.m.
Take it to the MAT: Stories & Songs from Master Arts | Master Arts Theatre, 6:30 p.m.
The Brothers Jacokes, Listen Stupid and Cool Aunt | Dog Story Theatre, 8 p.m.
Contents Under Pressure | Master Arts Theatre, 8 p.m.
For the Health of It
March 11
Lighten Up! A Comedic Writing Approach to Life’s Tough Stuff | Fountain Street Church, 4 p.m.
March 13
Healing Improv | Gilda’s Club GR, 6 p.m.
Laughter as Medicine: What Can Research Tell Us? | Hope College Winants Auditorium, 6 p.m.
March 18
People & Pets | GRCC Fieldhouse, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Get Moving
March 9-11 & 15-18
Laughter Yoga | Gilda’s Club GR, 10 a.m. (March 9, 10, 15-17) and 3 p.m. (March 11 and 18)
March 13
Laughter Yoga | Gilda’s Club Lowell, 4 p.m.
LAUGHsketball | DeltaPlex Arena, 6 p.m.
March 18
Seriously Funny Family Adventure Challenge | The B.O.B., noon
See You There!
Bri Kilroy is a Grand Valley and AmeriCorps alumna who learned to type through vigorous Mavis Beacon trainings. She also passes as an artist, illustrator and author of this bio.
