Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Joe Pillitteri is back to emcee a night at the seventh annual Garden City Comedy Festival, taking place next weekend in downtown St. Catharines.
The four-day festival celebrates Niagara’s comedy scene with performers from across the region and beyond.
Comedian Pillitteri hosted at the festival’s debut in 2018 and remains a crowd favourite for his family-focused storytelling style, says festival director and comedian David Green.
Pillitteri will host the festival’s gala night on Saturday, May 24 at 8 p.m. in the Recital Hall at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, which will feature sets from headliner Elvira Kurt, Ian Sirota, Cedric Newman, Jimmy England and Kessha Brownie.
“People love him and he’s going to set the show up for success,” said Green in an interview.
“He was the person who emceed our first ever festival seven years ago and, yeah — he’s been a fan favourite over the years,” he said. “He was the Niagara-on-the-Lake citizen of the year.”
The festival kicks off Wednesday, May 21 at 8 p.m. with the third-annual red-carpet Niagara Comedy Awards at Spotlight Comedy Club on St. Paul Street, hosted by comedian Levi Mann. It will celebrate comedians, venues and supporters from across the region, for free.
“The Exchange Brewery — and all the venues across the Niagara region,” Green said.
The Grassroots Comedy Contest finale will take place Thursday at 8 p.m. at the same comedy club, hosted by Green and comedian Jimmy England. After four weeks of competition, the contest will conclude with the crowning of the Grassroots Comedy Champ. Tickets are $5.
“We’ve been running that every Thursday during May,” Green said.
Comedian Mitchell Glass of NOTL, who does walks with Ghost Walks of Niagara-on-the-Lake alongside Green, performed in the contest last week — but just missed out on advancing to the May 22 final, said Green.
“It was actually only his second time ever performing on stage doing stand-up comedy,” he said. “He’s a very funny guy.”
One of 33 comics from across the region who signed up, Glass has always had an interest in performing in front of an audience, Green said.
“Our goal of the Grassroots Comedy Contest is to encourage and showcase more comics from NOTL and Niagara,” wrote Green in a message. He believes that Glass could be in the eighth annual festival.
Friday is a fundraiser at the same comedy club, emceed by comedian Keh Dee, with headliner and comedian Cathy Boyd, for Birchway Niagara women’s shelter in Niagara Falls.
With an all-female lineup, it will feature comedians, a draw, a raffle and prizes — some from businesses in NOTL, Green said. It will be at 8 p.m. and costs $20 to attend.
The festival wraps up Saturday with a night of variety — improv, music and film — emceed by comedian Brie Watson at 8 p.m. at the comedy club for $20.
At the same time, the $40 gala night will take place down the street, emceed by Pillitteri.
“You can’t think of anyone better than Joe (Pillitteri),” said Green.
An after-party will begin at the comedy club after both Saturday events are finished.
This is Garden City Comedy Festival’s main festival, but the company has also been running “Niagara’s longest running comedy venue” at The Exchange Brewery in NOTL for the past seven years, said Green, along with other “mini fest events,” some of which take place at the brewery.
The next shows there will be on Oct. 24 and 25.
The festival is sponsored by Ravenshead Homes and tickets can be purchased at gardencitycomedyfestival.com.
