The National Comedy Center is home to Joan Rivers’ career archive. Photo by the National Comedy Center

Thursday, the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival will turn 35 years old.

The festival begins Thursday, and ends Sunday, and is presented by the National Comedy Center.

One of the highlights of the festival is the debut of Joan Rivers’ career archive exhibit.

“It’s kind of come full circle, because Joan Rivers, was the first comedian I ever booked in this role for the Comedy Festival in 2011 and that’s also when we, as a town threw the flag in the ground and said, ‘We’re building this National Comedy Center,'” said NCC Executive Director Journey Gunderson.

NCC is the home of Rivers’ career archive. Included is a file cabinet containing more than 65,000 original jokes spanning from the start of her career in the 1950s to 2014 when she passed away.

The archive thoroughly chronicles Rivers’ artistic evolution and creative process, from her emergent years navigating 1950s Greenwich Village nightclub gigs and performing at Chicago’s Second City to her influential later years changing the face of celebrity interviews and fashion commentary and becoming a key architect of reality TV.

This year’s lineup features Jon Stewart and Bill Murray, leading four days of comedy with over 50 live events.

On Saturday, Aug. 9, at 7 p.m., Jon Stewart brings his stand-up performance to the Northwest Arena. On Sunday, Aug. 10, at 5 p.m., Bill Murray takes the same stage alongside his Blood Brothers band for a high-energy mix of rock and blues. The evening begins with a Stand-Up Showcase featuring top comedic talent from across the country: Tony Deyo, Jaki Fabulous, Ryan Goldsher, and Andy Huggins.

“I think one thing important for people to know is that the Friday stand-up live show as well as the late night comedy shows – and even the four stand-ups that are part of the Bill Murray show – these are some of the best touring comics, coast to coast, that and that you can typically only see if you make it to these, hard-to-get-into legendary clubs like the Comedy Cellar in New York (City) or the Comedy Store in L.A (Los Angeles),” Gunderson said.

On Friday, Aug. 8, at 7 p.m., comedy takes center stage at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts for Stand-Up Live! – a fast-paced evening of standout comedy featuring some of today’s best touring comedians: Seth Herzog, Erin Jackson, Adam Mamawala, Erica Rhodes and Shane Torres. Their credits include The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and more.

Also on Sunday, Aug. 10, at 2 p.m., fans of Saturday Night Live can go behind the scenes of the iconic show with Streeter Seidell, the show’s co-head writer, and SNL cast member James Austin Johnson.

Throughout the weekend, visitors can enjoy free outdoor block parties, live music, Comedy Late Night events and special programming inside the National Comedy Center – including a lineup of exclusive experiences that delve into the art and history of comedy. Visitors can experience special archive encounters, attend special presentations on comedy history, and take part in interactive workshops for kids and families, all designed to offer a deeper appreciation for the comedic craft.

The festival has welcomed more than 300 performers – from Jerry Seinfeld, and Trevor Noah to Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, John Mulaney, and Taylor Tomlinson – drawing over 15,000 comedy fans to Jamestown annually.

See the full festival schedule, get tickets for all events and purchase museum admission at ComedyCenter.org/festival.