We were heartened and encouraged by The Post-Journal’s recent editorial (August 16, 2025) noting that comedy is Jamestown’s unique strength – and we couldn’t agree more. The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, now in its 35th year, once again welcomed visitors from 43 states and brought some of the brightest stars in comedy to our community. Together, the National Comedy Center, the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum, and the festival make Jamestown comedy’s hometown – a place where comedy is both celebrated and shared.

Each August, the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival brings visitors from across the nation to Jamestown, filling our hotels, restaurants, and shops while showcasing our region to a national audience. But this work does not stop once the stage lights dim. The National Comedy Center and the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum operate every day as world-class experiences, consistently drawing tourists who stay in our hotels, eat in our restaurants, shop in our businesses, and explore neighboring attractions throughout the county. This dual role – hosting one of the nation’s most significant annual comedy festivals while sustaining year-round tourism – is what sets Jamestown apart as one-of-a-kind in America’s tourism and cultural landscape.

This work wouldn’t be possible without the strength of our community as a whole – from the hundreds of volunteers (ourselves included) who give their time, to the sponsor businesses who invest in the festival, to the generous support of our local foundations, and collaboration with Chautauqua County leadership and the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau. And most of all, we want to thank the thousands of ticket buyers and National Comedy Center members – because this only works if you continue to show up and support it. Together, this collective energy makes the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival a true community effort.

Because of this shared commitment, Jamestown’s comedy story has earned national recognition, with TIME magazine naming the National Comedy Center one of its “World’s Greatest Places,” USA Today ranking it the “Best New Museum” in the country, and U.S. News & World Report selecting it a “Top 25 Family Weekend Getaway “nationwide. National media outlets including NBC’s TODAY Show, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, CBS Sunday Morning, The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered, and The Hollywood Reporter – among many others – have spotlighted Jamestown as a result of this work. This level of visibility is invaluable for our entire region.

And here’s one we especially love – closer to home. Western New Yorkers voted us the “Best Museum” in The Buffalo News’ Best of 716 awards last fall – meaning Jamestown took top honors over every Buffalo museum. Not bad for a small city that punches far above its weight.

We are just as proud of the ways this work serves our neighbors here at home. The National Comedy Center’s free, monthly Memory Cafe for those with memory loss and their caregivers has drawn national acclaim. Our Museums for All initiative ensures access for families who receive SNAP benefits, while all Chautauqua County residents receive a year-round discount of over 30% on admission. In addition to our festival programming, we present free community events – from Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias’ ribbon-cutting and meet-and-greet event last May, which celebrated his VW Bus donation, to the free block parties that enliven downtown during the festival.

Tourism has significant economic impact in our community – and when we invest further, that impact grows. As we mark the 35th year of our festival and approach the 75th anniversary of I Love Lucy in 2026 – another milestone for the visionary who first imagined a world-class cultural institution in her hometown – we look forward to working together to build on this success.

At a time when so much of our country is polarized, comedy remains something that connects and bonds us – strengthening the vitality of our community by bringing people together and attracting visitors to our region.

Together, let’s continue to build and celebrate Comedy’s Hometown.

Sincerely,

Tom Benson is president of the National Comedy Center board and writes on behalf of the National Comedy Center Board of Directors.