The National Comedy Center is preparing to celebrate the 31st Lucille Ball Comedy Festival this summer. Gabriel Iglesias and Taylor Tomlinson will headline the comedy festival this year. Pictured is a past block party outside of the National Comedy Center during the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival. P-J file photo

The National Comedy Center is planning a full line-up of events for this year’s 31st Lucille Ball Comedy Festival in Jamestown.

This year’s festival will take place August 2-6, featuring dozens of events. Journey Gunderson, executive director, said there will be something for “every taste,” between comedy headliners and showcases of the nation’s top comedy club talent in local arenas and theaters and multiple events in the National Comedy Center.

“It’s amazing we have the two highest selling artists touring today performing in Jamestown,” Gunderson said. “Gabriel ‘Fluffy’ Iglesias on Aug. 3 and Taylor Tomlinson on Aug. 4.”

According to Gunderson, Iglesias sold more tickets last year than any other stand-up comedian and has over 1.1 billion views on YouTube.

“Iglesias is one of an elite handful of comics to headline and sell out Madison Square Garden, the Staples Center and the Sydney Opera House and became the first comedian to perform at Dodger Stadium, selling 45,000 seats in 2022,” she said.

In addition to Iglesias, Gunderson said Tomlinson is currently the “hottest name” in the realm of comedy following her Netflix stand-up comedy specials, is breaking ticket sale records and is selling out venues across the world. Gunderson added that Tomlinson was named the “Breakout Comedy Star of Year” in 2022 by Just for Laughs and was named one of the “Top 10 Comics to Watch” by Variety.

“It’s fitting that the National Comedy Center’s festival will be headlined by both a legend of and the future of comedy,” Gunderson said. “We are thrilled to have them both and tickets are going fast.”

Along with this year’s headliners, Gunderson said the Stand-Up Showcase will once again be featured at the comedy festival on August 5 at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts.

With some of the best talent from across the country, including comedians that have been featured on “The Tonight Show,” “The Late Show,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “America’s Got Talent,” Gunderson said the Stand-up Showcase is one of the most popular events of the festival each year.

This year, the festival’s Comedy Late Night events at the Tropicana Club above the Lucy Desi Museum will also feature a variety of comedians performing new and “edgier” material.

The National Comedy Center will also feature a free family comedy and variety show with Nels Ross, a free screening of classic “I Love Lucy” episodes on the outdoor jumbo screens, Lucy Town tours, Lucy legacy tribute events and many other events. This year’s full Lucille Ball Comedy Festival line-up can be found online at ComedyCenter.org/festival.

Gunderson said the National Comedy Center, the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival and the Lucy Desi Museum attract visitors from all over the country and around the world, impacting the local economy in a significant way.

“We know from our visitor surveys that these guests don’t just attend our festival and visit our museums,” Gunderson said. “They stay overnight in our local hotels and rental properties, eat in our restaurants, visit other attractions, spend time on the lake and shop in our stores, driving significant economic impact for our region.”

Gunderson said that within the first couple months of opening, the National Comedy Center had visitors from every state in the nation. She added that visitors often stay in the Jamestown area for several days, enjoying the “rich” experiences of both the National Comedy Center and the local region.