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The Jersey City Comedy Festival Returns June 7-10

Published by New Jersey Stage

originally published: 05/15/2023

(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Art House Productions and presenting sponsor Tito’s Handmade Vodka, are proud to announce the return of the Jersey City Comedy Festival (JCCF) taking place June 7-10, 2023 in Jersey City, NJ. JCCF will be held at two different locations, Art House Productions and The Laugh Tour Comedy Club at Dorrian’s Red Hand. Tickets range from $20 - $45 and are available on the JCCF website.

48 comedians from 12 States and Canada were selected from over 300 submissions. Selected comics will compete in five competition showcases June 7-9. Audiences will be able to vote for their favorite comedian at each showcase in order to advance them to the finale, headlined by Marina Franklin on June 10. All 10 finalists will receive spots at The Laugh Tour Comedy Club. Two comics (Audience pick + Industry pick) will win “Best of the Fest,” and receive $500 each. The audience pick will also receive a spot at West Side Comedy Club's new talent show. The industry winner will receive spots at West Side Comedy Club, The Laugh Tour Comedy Club, and Catch A Rising Star.

“We’re so excited to bring back the Jersey City Comedy Festival after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic. This year’s fest is bigger than ever before, and will be the first time we present comedy at Art House’s new performing and visual arts center,” says executive artistic director, Meredith Burns.

Headliners for the 2023 Jersey City Comedy Festival include Rex Navarrete (Lopez Tonight, MTV Philippines, The Nutshack) Wednesday, June 7, 7:30pm at Art House Productions; Chris Gethard (Comedy Central, The Office, Broad City, Parks And Recreation, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon) Wednesday, June 7, 9:00pm at Art House Productions; and Marina Franklin ( Hulu's "Life And Beth"; HBO's "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver";“Trainwreck”; Stephen Colbert’s Late Show; Showtime’s “Women Who Kill”; Comedy Central’s “Chappelle’s Show”) June 10 with “JCCF Best of Fest,” 8:00pm at Barrow Mansion.

For more information and to purchase tickets, go to the JCCF website: jerseycitycomedyfestival.com. All venues are fully accessible. To request ASL interpreters, please email [email protected] at least 2 weeks before the event.




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Producing sponsors of the event include Dorrian's Red Hand, The Laugh Tour Comedy Club @ Dorrian's, Catch A Rising Star, and West Side Comedy Club. 

The full lineup of performances and selected comics for the 2023 Jersey City Comedy Festival includes:

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7 at ART HOUSE PRODUCTIONS (345 Marin Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07302):

7:30 PM EST | REX NAVARRETE

9:00 PM EST | CHRIS GETHARD



WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7 at THE LAUGH TOUR COMEDY CLUB AT DORRIAN'S (555 Washington Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07310):

6:30PM EST | STAND UP COMPETITION #1 - Aditya Shankar, Aidan Kelly, Alexis Gay, Barak Ziv, Brendan Smith, Jilberto Soto, Josh Ri'Esgo, Kendall Allison, Mike O’Sullivan

8:30PM EST | STAND UP COMPETITION #2 - Ely Kreimendahl, James Mac, Jon Bander, Joshua Stokes, Laura Merli, Learnmore Jonasi, Lee Paul, Mike Atcherson, Shivani Dave, Tony Sykowski



THURSDAY, JUNE 8 at ART HOUSE PRODUCTIONS (345 Marin Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07302):

7:30PM EST | NORTH COAST HIP HOP IMPROV/UNCLE FUNCTION SKETCH COMEDY

9:00PM EST | CHARACTERS SHOWCASE 



THURSDAY, JUNE 8 at THE LAUGH TOUR COMEDY CLUB AT DORRIAN'S (555 Washington Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07310):

6:30PM EST | STAND UP COMPETITION #3 - Aaron Rosen, Abby Washuta, Boris Khaykin, Darryl Charles, Jaren George, Joe Mahoney, Marcy Smiles, Rayne McGowan, Steve Cohen

8:30PM EST | STAND UP COMPETITION #4 - Alex Kim, Ariel Evans, Art Cai, Dan Hurwitz, David Grebenik, Joseph Ferraro, Monique Latise, Natan Badalov, Nate Lander, Parth Shorey



FRIDAY, JUNE 9 at ART HOUSE PRODUCTIONS (345 Marin Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07302):

7:30PM EST | STAND UP COMPETITION #5 - Ajay G, Calvin Reid, Cassidy O'Malley, Cathy Boyd, CH Lee, Jordan J, Karl Xie, Laura Patton, Madelein Murphy-Smith, Meka Mo



SATURDAY, JUNE 10 at ART HOUSE PRODUCTIONS (345 Marin Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07302):

8:00 PM - 10:00 PM EST | BEST OF FEST + HEADLINER MARINA FRANKLIN



Art House Productions is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to the development and presentation of the performing and visual arts in Jersey City, NJ. Art House Productions presents theater, festivals, events, visual art exhibitions, and adult and youth art classes. To stay up to date on all Art House events, sign up for the mailing list here here.

Art House Productions is generously supported by The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Public Funds from the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund, The Princeton Area Community Foundation, SILVERMAN, The Albanese Group, Liberty Harbor, KRE, The New Jersey Theatre Alliance, and The Hudson County Office of Cultural Affairs. A full list of funders can be found on their website.


EVENT PREVIEWS

(PITMAN, NJ) -- The Broadway Theatre of Pitman presents a night of comedy on Thursday, July 9, 2026 with a lineup headlined by Moody McCarthy.  Special guests Kyle Mara and Paul Carson will open the night. Showtime is 7:30pm.
State Theatre New Jersey and Live Nation present Aries Spears on July 10th

State Theatre New Jersey and Live Nation present Aries Spears on July 10th

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey and Live Nation present Aries Spears on Friday, July 10, 2026 at 8:00pm. The New York native's quick wit, charisma, and ferociously aggressive comedy style have earned him critical acclaim, accolades, and, above all, a busy schedule
Drunk Black History comes to Newark Culture Club on July 10th

Drunk Black History comes to Newark Culture Club on July 10th

(NEWARK, NJ) -- Comedian Brandon Collins (New York Comedy Festival) brings his critically acclaimed Drunk Black History to the Newark Culture Club on Friday, July 10, 2026 at 9:00pm for a special event to celebrate the stories of untold Black historical figures and events! It's a one-of-a-kind, booze-fueled deep dive into the untold stories of Black history.
MPAC presents comedian Janelle James

MPAC presents comedian Janelle James

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Janelle James, who stars in the scene-stealing role of "Ava Coleman" in the Emmy-nominated ABC comedy series Abbott Elementary, performs an evening of stand-up comedy at Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) on Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 8:00pm.
The Flip Side brings Improv Comedy to Madison on July 11th

The Flip Side brings Improv Comedy to Madison on July 11th

(MADISON, NJ) -- Looking for a night out to escape the Netflix doom scroll? Something beyond movies at the megaplex or a typical bar crawl? The Flip Side, a completely improvised theatrical comedy experience, is appearing Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 8:00pm — and it's anything but predictable. The Flip Side is the house team of Vivid Stage, a professional theatre company based in Summit, NJ.
Comedian Nate Bargatze to Perform at the Prudential Center on August 8th

Comedian Nate Bargatze to Perform at the Prudential Center on August 8th

(NEWARK, NJ) -- Coming off record setting tours in 2024 and 2025, comedian Nate Bargatze is bringing his 2026 Big Dumb Eyes World Tour across North America. The tour comes to the Prudential Center in Newark on Saturday, August 8, 2026.
 

FEATURED EVENTS


Aries Spears

Friday, July 10, 2026 @ 8:00pm
State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ


The Flip Side: Improv at Vivid Stage

Saturday, July 11, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Madison Community Center
10 Kings Road, Madison, NJ



 

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