LOL at the Lyric Great Outdoors Comedy Festival brings Tom Segura, Bill Burr and Nate Bargatze and friends to Assiniboine Park By: Eva Wasney Posted: 6:04 PM CDT Wednesday, Jul. 17, 2024

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This article was published 17/07/2024 (785 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Local standup enthusiasts will venture beyond the city’s basement rooms and dimly lit lounges into a verdant outdoor venue this weekend for the Winnipeg debut of a popular Canadian comedy festival.

The Great Outdoors Comedy Festival got its start in Edmonton in 2021 and has since attracted some of the biggest names in the business while expanding to eight North American cities — including a three-day stint at Assiniboine Park featuring headliners Tom Segura (Friday), Bill Burr (Saturday) and Nate Bargatze (Sunday).

Pre-pandemic, event founder Mike Anderson was in the midst of organizing an ill-fated outdoor comedy show at an Alberta amphitheatre.

“When the world had other plans for us, we sat down and re-invented the whole experience,” says the president of Trixstar Entertainment.

That pivot included purchasing 1,400 folding tables in an effort to bring the comedy club experience outside for a massive, socially distanced event. More than 8,000 people attended the inaugural two-day affair, which featured the likes of Nikki Glaser and David Spade.

According to Anderson, Spade enjoyed the performance so much he suggested the company start touring the concept. And so they did.

As the festival hit the road, organizers sought out large, picturesque locations. In Winnipeg, an estimated 25,000 people — roughly 8,000 per night — are expected to attend the event over the weekend.

“For us to come to a city, there’s got to be one of the most stunning places on the planet to host an event, and Assiniboine Park checked all those boxes,” Anderson says.

The festival will take over the Lyric Theatre field with a large stage, food trucks, a bar and merch tent. One pandemic-era carry-over is the seating format.

Seating is first-come-first-served for general admission attendees, who are responsible for bringing their own chairs or blankets. Tables and chairs will be set up closest to the stage for VIP ticket holders, who receive priority entrance and table-side bar service.

“We put barcodes on every table and people can scan it, put their drink order in, pay for it and five minutes later, the drink shows up at your table,” Anderson says.

“What was once used as a tool to keep people from congregating at the bar has become one of the greatest VIP experiences.”

Outdoor venues can be hit or miss for comedians: it’s hard to control distractions and keep an audience’s attention in the wild, sound can be a challenge in wide open spaces and mother nature doesn’t always play nice. Great Outdoors cancelled its London, Ont. festival this week due to flooding in the region.

Despite all that, the festival has been a hit with headliners. On a podcast, Burr, who has performed annually since 2022, described the event as “one of the best crowds I’ve ever performed to.”

Positive word-of-mouth has attracted other big names to the festival, such as Jerry Seinfeld, Chelsea Handler, Kevin Hart and Iliza Shlesinger (who plays a more traditional local show at the Centennial Concert Hall Aug. 24).

Anderson points to the festival’s arena-style audio-visual production as a cornerstone of its success.

“Big stage, big sound, big lights, big video. It’s very important that (audiences) can hear and see the (comedians’) facial expressions — if you’re up close or towards the back, it still feels very intimate,” he says.

Fencing will be erected around the open-air venue to limit disturbances and keep non-paying passersby from eavesdropping on the action.

Along its tour stops, Great Outdoors has made a point of sharing the spotlight with local entertainers and organizations. Winnipeg musicians Matt Colpitts and Mama Cutsworth will warm up the crowd, along with roving street performers, illusionists and magicians.

The Winnipeg International Children’s Festival, Gas Station Arts Centre and Assiniboine Park Conservancy will receive a portion of the event’s ticket sales.

Local comedians Benji Rothman and Jordan Welwood are set to host the mainstage on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

“It’s an opportunity I’m definitely not taking for granted.”–Benji Rothman

Opening for Burr in front of a crowd of thousands will be Rothman’s biggest show to date.

“It’s an opportunity I’m definitely not taking for granted,” says the comedian and event producer. “It’s something that I know all the other (professional) comics in this city would want to do and I hope they get to do it if this festival keeps coming back.”

If this year’s debut is successful, Anderson says it’s likely the comedy festival will return in the future.

“If everything goes perfectly and the community embraces us, there’s no reason we wouldn’t come back next summer,” he says.

Limited tickets are still available for Friday and Sunday at greatoutdoorscomedyfestival.com.

eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com

X: @evawasney

 

What to know before you go

• Bring a chair or blanket. Chairs must be single-person and cannot have protruding leg rests or coverings, blankets or tarps must be no larger than six-by-six feet. There will be a limited number of chairs available to rent on site.

• Dress for the elements. Bring clothing for rain and cool evenings, as well as sunscreen and bug spray. Umbrellas are welcome but must be put away during performances if it’s not raining.

• Pack food and drink. Small, commercially sealed snacks and up to one litre of water per person in a factory sealed bottle are permitted, as well as soft-sided coolers, backpacks and foldable wagons to lug your gear.

• Leave your cash at home. This is a cashless event, so make sure to bring a credit or debit card and a valid form of government-issued ID.

• Plan your transportation. Plan to carpool, as there is limited paid parking available in the zoo lot on Roblin Boulevard for $20 per vehicle. The Winnipeg Trolley will be running between Little Brown Jug (336 William Ave.) and Assiniboine Park before and after the event. You can also catch an event shuttle at the Seel Station park and ride at 25 Saturn Bay for drop off and pick up at the Portage Avenue footbridge leading into the park. Cyclists can leave their ride with the bike valet outside the Pavilion.