Laughfest returned to Grand Rapids on Thursday for the third year in a row.
The festival, put on by Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids, draws big name comedians like Wayne Brady, Brian Regan and Lewis Black, and serves as a platform for amateur comedians to strut their stuff in front of a large audience.
Laughfest had its first run in 2011 and was the first of its kind nationwide. This year, it is utilizing over 50 venues to bring 102 acts and events to the city for the next 10 days. Venues include Grand Rapids Community College’s Ford Fieldhouse, Fountain Street Church, Rosa Parks Circle and The B.O.B.
GRCC’s Ford Fieldhouse hosted the All Star Comedy Jam hosted by Shaquille O’Neal Friday and Joel McHale. Family Friendly events included the Super Saturday Kids Zone and Saturday Nite Teen Zone and a People and Pets event today.
Laughfest isn’t here to pull some cheap chuckles—the festival works to promote laughter as a necessary part of mental and physical health with workshops such as Laughter Yoga and Laughter Rx: Emotional Health Speaker Series. After a bleak Michigan winter that can leave everyone feeling less than lively, Laughfest is the perfect way to ride out the last few weeks of snow and slide into spring.
For a full list of events on campus and around the city, visit www.laughfest.org or visit Laughfest Central at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.
