Dave Chappelle. Wanda Sykes. Tony Woods—all these comedians have one thing in common: Their careers started in D.C. While the District has produced countless comics, comedian and DC Comedy Festival organizer Eddie Liles says many people pay little attention to the comic scene or the venues throughout the city. That’s why his festival was born in 2017: to showcase the producers and venues that are putting on shows, the D.C. comedy scene, and the local talent. Over the course of five days, comics from all over will perform at classic venues such as Busboys and Poets and Dupont Underground. However, this year’s event will also include a venue addition—the Miracle Theatre on Sept. 18, with Tony Woods headlining. With last year’s festival being canceled due to COVID-19, Liles sees this year’s event as a way to show people that the D.C. comedy scene is still alive and thriving. “We want to make sure everybody understands the comedy inside of D.C. is not gone and we hope to rejuvenate it,” Liles says. To Sept. 18 at various venues. Free.
DC Comedy Festival
