“Asheville Comedy Festival is such a one-of-a-kind event, I loved it!!  Great networking and great audiences in a really fun environment.  The events during the day are a real star, truly unique exposure to the best professionals in the business in an intimate setting where you can network and learn skills that you will actually use to further your career. I will definitely be back.”

“Asheville is one of the rare festivals that actually cares about providing the best audiences and industry opportunities for its comics. You’ll perform for enthusiastic crowds, network with other great comedians and have the chance to learn from and be seen by all different types of industry. It’s truly one of the best festival experiences you can have.”

“The Asheville Comedy Festival is a great way to meet talent and industry alike. Every year I discover my new favorite up-and-coming comedian along with a bunch more extremely funny people I wouldn’t have known otherwise. And despite my constant effort to remain negative, unapproachable, and an overall chore to be around- I still somehow make new friends and end up having a lot of fun.”

“I was given the wonderful opportunity to attend the 2019 Asheville Comedy Festival as an industry speaker.  The festival provides multiple and varied venues, including the rollicking Highland Brewing Company and culminating at the huge, yet still surprisingly intimate Diana Wortham Theater.  From a recovering comedian’s perspective, it really is unique and a can’t-miss opportunity for comedians to perform at diverse venues in front of real audiences.  Having attended twice, I find this fest unique because the audience is not industry, it’s a true audience of civilians who flock and fill the venues en masse every single show.  

The LYAO crew curates an exceptional array of comedians from all walks of life and it really does feel like they have an uncanny ability to invite talent on the brink.  I have hired and cast multiple comics from this festival, so I would definitely attest to the fact that this is a truly beneficial opportunity for both comics and industry.  

Regarding the industry panels and workshops, Charlie works extremely hard to put together a varied spectrum of industry attendees who bring a wide array of experience, enthusiasm and accessible personalities.  The workshops covered so many truly important aspects of the comedy business for young talent, (Eg: Social media growth, writing, auditioning and producing) that I found helpful not only for the comics, but also for myself.  The crew worked very hard to set the stage for my audition workshop and get the word out to the comics that in addition to their performances, this opportunity was also available for them to experience.  On that note, I did audition several comics I would definitely consider casting in the future.   

Lastly, Charlie and Ryan nail the summer camp style sense of community and camaraderie by putting together a plethora of late night hangs…you really will have an opportunity to hang with the industry speakers, comics, organizers and along the way, I’m certain just like summer camp, you will make some ‘forever friends.’  

Also, Asheville is a rare gem, hilariously eccentric (I saw a guy walking a ferret) and charismatic like Austin, Texas 15 years ago …  you should check it out before it’s riddled with Bird Scooters and $30.00 parking.”

“Asheville Comedy Festival was an outstanding opportunity to perform in an amazing theater in front of a huge audience of almost 600 people. It was fantastic and lived up to everything a comedy festival should be. Provided a great crowd for everyone to perform, took special care of visiting comics, offered useful and insightful workshops, and rad after parties that only the sober comics remember.
Thanks to the organizers, staff, and industry folks for an outstanding experience.”

“It’s such a valuable gift to experience performing in front of a 500 seat theater. Not only does the festival supply comedians with a professional tape of their set, it gives aspiring comics an opportunity to have their jokes heard and appreciated in front of a crowd much larger than your average festival showcase. I would go perform in Asheville again in a heartbeat!”

“The Asheville Comedy Festival is a delightful time that offers sold out theater crowds, free beer for performers, and a weekend in a charming town with killer comics from across the country. Also, there’s a 24 hour IHOP right next to a 24 hour Waffle House. Literally what more could you ask for?”

“The Asheville Comedy Festival is unique in that it is not a competition as most festivals are. It is strictly a showcase, comedy presented the way it should be presented. Diverse performers bringing their unique points of view to the stage. Comedy, like all the arts, is subjective and I always wonder why festivals present it as a “contest” or “competition”. As artists, we should strive for comradery and generosity with our colleagues. The environment fostered in Asheville is just that. This past festival, 2019, was my 2nd time in Asheville. I had a wonderful time three years ago and even a better time this year. As a professional comedian, with 15 years experience, I’ve had colleagues ask me why would I submit to be a part of a festival that is typically attended by newcomers. The reason? What better way to be surrounded by colleagues, meet new people, see friends and be surrounded in such a supportive environment. I book 6 comedy nights a year for a theater in CT and I’m always looking for new talent. I was amazed by the talent that I had the pleasure of seeing. I also had to opportunity to expand my horizons and comfort zone by meeting with and auditioning for industry, something that I would not have thought about doing had I not attended this year. For any comedian seeking a fabulous, supportive, well run festival, I highly recommend Asheville. If you are chosen to attend, run don’t walk to Asheville. You will have a wonderful and memorable time.”

“By far one of the most fun festivals I’ve done. The producers went out of their way to make us feel welcome, the shows were incredible, and the industry panels were enlightening and helpful. Plus, the spread in the green room? *kisses fingers* Highly recommended!”

“The Asheville Comedy Festival is run by a team of people who really care about comedy and is in one of the cooler towns I’ve traveled to. The shows are amazing, and I had the opportunity to perform in front of the largest crowd of my career so far. Everyone is uniquely talented, from the comics to the crew, and it was a thrill to be a part of such an inclusive community. I highly recommend other comics to submit to this festival; not only is it a great time, but you get valuable experience and insight out of it also. Thanks Asheville Comedy Festival!”

“This was my first out-of-town comedy festival, and I’m so very glad it was this one. It was incredibly well run, and the variety of topics the industry guests covered was extremely helpful in not only my development as a stand up comic but as a comedy writer. Everyone who was a part of this — from producers, to volunteers, to the comics I was lucky to share these stages with — was friendly, professional and kept me laughing for an entire week. I’m excited about getting a chance to see any of these comics whenever I travel out of Washington, D.C. And while I was sad to leave Asheville that Sunday morning, I also left with a feeling of validation—that my and all my fellow comic’s voices deserve to be heard. When you’re out there grinding on stages for years and years, you start to wonder if your voice matters. Thanks for reminding me that mine does.”

“I highly recommend the Asheville Comedy Festival. Imagine The band Phish and a restaurant that put sausage gravy on everything had a baby and that baby turned into a town. Did you imagine it? Wow, that’s a lot to imagine. Well, that town baby is Asheville and it is home to the Asheville Comedy Festival. The comics are funny, the Organizers are top notch, you’ll learn a lot at the Panels and the City is beautiful. You should go.”

“The Asheville Comedy Festival was amazing. The shows, the audiences, the comics, the staff and volunteers...all top notch. Melissa, Ryan and everyone else involved in the fest have something really special happening in North Carolina! Comics submit and people go to the shows next year because you won’t be disappointed!”

“Asheville Comedy Festival is the festival all other comedy festivals should be judged by. It’s the gold standard. Not only were the shows sold out but the comics on the shows were killer. But it isn’t just the comics who make the shows worth it. It’s the entire staff. You can tell the comics were really thrilled to be there performing but also really having a good time hanging out with one another. And the promises made, like the industry that would be there, were actually true something other festivals have difficulties with. Asheville comedy festival felt more like family coming together than any other festival I have ever been to. A lot of comedy festivals get bad raps bc they just want money and don’t provide much in exchange. Asheville made sure to provide it’s comics with enough shows to make the expense worth it, have open mics to practice days before and days during the show, after-parties and industry seminars and just an overall feeling of hey we run this festival and are so grateful and happy to have the comics we chose here. This festival is not an easy feat to pull off with the many many logistics and the producers killed it. I consider myself a pretty organized person (like I use five planners everyday) and they made me mad jealous of their logistics skills. I can only hope that it wouldn’t get so crowded next year that they won’t be able to accept me because I have already blocked off my calendar from booking in the hope that I can return.”

“The Asheville Comedy Festival was an awesome opportunity to meet comics and industry from all over the country. It’s important for comics to have connections in every city and Asheville was a great way to make those connections while performing for the largest audience of my career so far.”

“Asheville Comedy Festival was my first festival experience and I’m pretty sure it spoiled me. The team were super friendly, enthusiastic, and ran the event like clockwork. If you want to perform in a beautiful theater to a 500+ comedy-friendly crowd, attend a great industry panel, and meet lots of cool comics, apply to the Asheville Comedy Festival.”

“Asheville Comedy Festival puts comedy first. They produce technically-perfect theatre shows in front of smart crowds that are ready to laugh. If you can’t get a great tape at LYAO, that’s on you. They also create a friendly and comfortable atmosphere for comics to hang out and bond. You want to do this festival.”

“Asheville is so much more than Comedy shows. It’s a community of great people that happen to be some of the nation’s brightest young headliners and industry professionals.

Asheville will spoil you as far as Comedy Festivals go. When it comes to a rewarding and memorable experience doing Comedy Festivals, there’s really not many out there like LYAO.

Charlie Gerencer invites amazing professionals from the Comedy Industry; and they all come eager to not only connect with Comedians but share poignant information that will definitely make you a better pro.”

“Asheville is what we call in the business an FCF (fantastic comedy festival). Their staff puts a lot of love and labor into it, and it shows. The shows are all top-shelf, and the hangs are great, too. Apply for this!”

“Asheville Comedy Festival was hands down one of the best weekends of my life. I met amazing comics and people who are now close friends, the shows were all sold out and incredible, and Asheville itself is absolutely amazing.”