The Original Longest-Running Outdoor Comedy Festival in the World Celebrates 34 Years of Free Laughs

SAN FRANCISCO - Aug. 30, 2014 - PRLog -- SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Comedy Day’s gift of laughter to the Bay Area and beyond will last forever — even if we have to use our late founder Jose Simon’s memorial bench in Golden Gate Park as a stage, and a bullhorn instead of a microphone. As long as people are looking for a laugh, Comedy Day, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), is committed to providing five hours of free comedy. And that’s a promise. 



The good news is that we have a stage, a sound system, food and beverages, and the all-important port-a-potties, to help us present our annual funfest. What we do need is to raise funds to present our 35th annual event in 2015, and continue this tradition for many years to come. That’s why we’re creating a Kickstarter campaign scheduled to run one month beginning on August 21. Every dollar we earn over our goal will be used to make Comedy Day a more enjoyable event for fans, comedians, sponsors, and our tireless volunteers.

Comedians scheduled to appear this year include: Tom Ammiano, Diane Amos. Gary Anderson. W. Kamu Bell, Eloisa Bravo, J. Raul Brody + Thee Stupeds, Larry “Bubbles” Brown, Scott Capurro, Brian Copeland, Moore/DeVine, DNA, Keith D’Souza, Debi Durst, Will Durst, David Gborie, Marga Gomez, Dr. Gonzo, Dana Gould, Liz Grant, Nato Green, Robert Hawkins, Kollin Holtz, Lenard “The KYD” Jackson, Joe Klocek, Luke Lockfeld, Stroy Moyd, Natasha Muse, Mary Van Note,  Steven Pearl, Mark Pitta, Jules Posner, Priya Prasad, Paco Romane, Dan St. Paul, Father Guido Sarducci, Bob Sarlatte, Bucky Sinister, Kabir “Kabeezy” Singh, Johnny Steele, Ronn Vigh, and Very Special Guests!

This year’s Comedy Day lineup features a combination of up-and-coming talent in our nearly hour-long Fresh Faces of Comedy Day set, as well as Bay Area favorites and national headliners. “You never know who’s gonna drop in,” hints Debi Durst, Board President and Executive Producer of Comedy Day. “It’s been a brutal year; now more than ever we need a good laugh,” she continues. “I can guarantee that the 40 comedians we present will be able to find the funny in the economy, natural — and unnatural — disasters, and I know at least one guy personally who’ll skewer politics and, more important, the politicians.”

The complete cast of comedians and updates will be made daily to the ComedyDay.org website. Also on tap will be the annual Stand-up Comedy Legend Award, given to Diane Amos. You may know her as The Pine-Sol Lady. What you might not know is that she’s a sensational standup up comedian and an incredible improv artist. Past winners include Ronnie Schell, Michael Pritchard, Father Guido Sarducci (Don Novello), Enrico Banducci (impresario and former owner of the hungry i), Wavy Gravy, Frank Kidder, Rebecca Erwin Spencer, Jose Simon, Pat Morita, Pat Paulsen, Robin Williams and Will Durst. Who will be this year's award winner? Stay tuned!

Founder Jose Simon’s dream of a free, open-air comedy celebration became a reality in 1981, and since that time, more than 750 of the world’s funniest comedians have performed gratis for more than a half-million happy people. Comedy Day has hosted many of the biggest names in stand-up, among them: Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Dave Chappelle, Garry Shandling, Ellen DeGeneres, Eddie Izzard, Dana Carvey, Bobcat Goldthwait, Paula Poundstone, Patton Oswalt, Janeane Garofalo, Rob Schneider, George Lopez, Margaret Cho, Greg Behrendt, Dana Gould, Tom Kenney (voice of SpongeBob SquarePants), Dave Attell, Arj Barker (Flight of the Conchords), Brian Regan, Jake Johannsen, Kevin Meaney, Kevin Pollak, Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911), Brian Copeland, Diane Amos (The Pine Sol Lady), Greg Proops, Scott Thompson & Kevin McDonald (Kids in the Hall) and others.

Comedy Day will arrange access to select comedians for media representatives seeking interviews and broadcast appearances. A media kit is available at http://comedyday.org/about/media, where you’ll find hi-res photos, a B-roll and other videos, and more. Acts are subject to change. Comedy Day is rated PG-13.

Our major sponsor is Pat Paulsen Vineyards, founded in 1976 by comedian and mock presidential candidate Pat Paulsen, one of the first celebrities to launch a winery. Pat’s son, Monty Paulsen, a graduate of the UC Davis School of Winemaking, has revived the winery and the brand, and is continuing the tradition of producing outstanding wines of great value and high quality.

Other participating sponsors include: NBC Bay Area, San Francisco Examiner, KGO News Radio 810AM, SF Weekly, the Bay Guardian, Lagunitas Brewing, Villa Florence hotel, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Common Cider, FunCheapSF, Reality Check TV, Gyros & Cheesesteak Trolley, the Slider Shack, Sam’s Chowder Mobile, ForeverSprung Springrolls, KIND snack bars, City Girls SF, U.S. Pure Water, FCCFree Radio, SF Sketchfest, The Punch Line, Cobb’s Comedy Club, Sylvan Productions, Doc’s Lab, Rock Medicine, and San Francisco Rec & Park.

Comedy Day is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) event that has turned into a long-standing tradition in San Francisco. Heavily supported by the leading Bay Area media companies, the event has attracted more than 60,000 attendees in a single day. Contributions to Comedy Day help in three ways:

1) Supporting the production of each year’s annual event;

2) Providing our outreach program presenting workshops teaching conflict resolution through the use of humor to Bay Area public schools;

3) Producing comedic entertainment for nonprofit benefits, as well as to patients in hospitals, nursing homes and hospices, residents of homeless shelters, and wherever people can use a good laugh.

Most recently, Comedy Day produced a comedy benefit for Housing 1000 in Santa Clara, CA that raised enough money to provide permanent housing for three homeless individuals.

For more information, visit http://www.comedyday.org or call 415-820-1570.