From left Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias and National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson stand in front of Iglesias’s jersey from his 2022 sold-out Dodger Stadium performance. P-J photo by Michael Zabrodsky

You don’t have to look any further than virtually in your back yard when it comes to finding entertainment for your family.

The National Comedy Center offers many families, no matter where they reside, a place for laughs.

Recently, NCC, located at 203 W. Second St., Jamestown, was voted 2023 Best of the Best in Chautauqua County for family fun, and it celebrated its five-year anniversary.

NCC Vice President, Marketing and Communications, said living in the county makes the center more affordable.

“We are honored that Chautauqua County voted the National Comedy Center the ‘Best of the Best’ for family fun. This follows U.S. News and World Report naming the Comedy Center a ’25 Top Family Weekend Getaway’ in the entire United States on a list that includes Walt Disney World and Disneyland. We look forward to welcoming local residents to the National Comedy Center during these winter months – it’s an interactive comedy playground and wonderful indoor activity that’s fun for all ages, right here in our county – and the Chautauqua County resident discount makes it even more affordable for everyone in the family,” Hahn said.

In August, The National Comedy Center holds the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival. The festival attracts comedy enthusiasts from all of the globe.

The three-day festival has more than 50 live events, including stand-up showcases, late night comedy, block parties, Lucy tribute events, kids’ comedy and live music.

Previous Festival headliners, according to comedy center.org, include Jerry Seinfeld, Trevor Noah, Lily Tomlin, John Mulaney, Amy Schumer, W. Kamau Bell, Sebastian Maniscalco, Jim Gaffigan, Paula Poundstone, Joan Rivers, Jeff Foxworthy, Margaret Cho, SNL Legends David Spade, Rob Schneider and Kevin Nealon along with more than one hundred other comedic artists. The 2023 festival featured record-breaking comedians Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias and Taylor Tomlinson.

In June, comedian Tom Segura is scheduled to perform at Northwest Arena. According to comedy center.org, Segura is one of the biggest names in the comedy business. He recently toured over 300 cities on his I’m Coming Everywhere world tour. He is best known for his Netflix specials Ball Hog (2020), Disgraceful (2018), Mostly Stories (2016), and Completely Normal (2014). His fifth Netflix special Sledgehammer released July 4, 2023 and debuted at No. 1 on the streaming service. In July 2022, Segura released his New York Times Bestselling book “I’d Like To Play Alone, Please.”

If you attend NCC, be prepared to spend a lot of time there. It’s the go-to place for comedy as it keeps attracting guests and celebrities with its immersive, interactive exhibits.