VIDEO: After 3 year absence, Garden City Comedy Festival finally returns to St. Catharines

Published May 5, 2022 at 2:50 pm

Toronto comedian Mike Wilmot will be the headliner on the final night of the four day Garden City Comedy Festival. (Photo: Facebook)

When the Garden City Comedy Festival last played to crowds in 2019, festival director David Green noted that things were really rolling for the event.

It turned out 2020 and then 2021 had different ideas, which resulted in a whole lot of no festivals of any kind going on. “We in fact we had a sold-out gala event with Deanne Smith in 2019 but then had to cancel our festival in March 2020 due to the pandemic,” Green told us. “It will now be three years since our last official festival and we are very excited to return!”

In fact, now it’s back and it’s bigger than ever with five shows spread over four night in or near downtown St. Catharines.

The festival kicks off June 1 at Mahtay Café (241 St Paul St) with comedians David Green, Oren Williamson, Jacob Bergsma, Tom Holman and Jeff Leeson.

The scene shifts to Essential Café & Bakery (3490 Schmon Pkwy, Building 7, Thorold) for Night Two on June 2 with Levi Mann, Allie Moore, Mitch McBeaudry, Sab Powers and Taylor Grant.

The third night June 3 will be the Badunkafunk Street Party on a closed-off St. Paul Street featuring Craig F. Watkins and special guests for a free event.

The comics will gather at the rooftop patio of Niagara Artists Centre (354 St Paul St) for a Women’s Place fundraiser. On the bill will be all-women comedian line-up of Brie Watson, Tamara Shevon, Cathy Boyd, Keh Dee and Brenda Lennie.

The festival wraps up with its gala night at FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre June 4 with Fiona O’Brien, Zabrina Douglas, Ernie Vicente, Joe Pilliterri and headliner Mike Wilmot.

As a taste of what’s headed into the city, here’s Night One performer Jeff Leeson.

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