Gilda’s LaughFest Kicks Off Its 15th Year

The 15th annual Gilda’s LaughFest kicks off on Wednesday, March 5, with the family-friendly event, “LaughFest: Night at the Museum,” at 6 p.m. at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Other opening day events include, Cancer Survivors Showcase (7 p.m.) at Midtown, Drums for All with Josh Dunigan, (7 p.m.) at LowellArts, and a special “Yellow-Up” Grand Rapids Rise volleyball match (7 p.m.) at Van Andel Arena.

Gilda’s LaughFest 2025 continues through Sunday, March 9, with 45 free and ticketed shows at over a dozen venues in Grand Rapids, Lowell and Wayland’s Gun Lake Casino Resort. The 15th annual festival features headliners Corey B., Gabby Bryan, Adam Ray and Dan Soder. Other events and shows include: The Clean Comedy Showcase, Cooking & Comedy, The Virtual Reality Showcase, Sunday Night Funnies, Laughter RX Symposium, Pop Scholars, River City Improv and The Dirty Show. New to LaughFest 2025 is Gospel Fest at Resurrection Fellowship Church in Grand Rapids. This annual event hosted by the Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids Sister-to-Sister Breast Cancer Support Group for Women of Color, consists of laughter, praise, and shared song.

Proceeds from Gilda’s LaughFest, presented by Gun Lake Casino Resort, and LaughFest’s High Five Campaign benefit the free cancer and grief emotional health support program offered through Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids.

“We are thrilled that our 15th annual Gilda’s LaughFest is finally here! We have a great lineup this year of national and local comedians – and a variety of events suitable for a range of ages! So come on out and enjoy some laughter with your family and friends,” said Wendy Wigger, president and CEO of Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids. “We want to thank our generous donors and sponsors for their support for Gilda’s LaughFest, especially to Meijer for their $20,000 match for our High Five campaign and Gun Lake Casino Resort, our festival presenting sponsor. It is because of the heartfelt generosity of our donors and sponsors that Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids is able to provide free cancer and grief emotional health support programs in the community.”

Tickets for all events are available online at https://www.laughfestgr.org/

Gilda’s LaughFest Daily Highlights

Wednesday, March 5:

Clean Comedy Showcase: 7 p.m. at The B.O.B – 3rd Floor (no tickets currently available)
LaughFest: Night at the Museum: 6 p.m. at Grand Rapids Public Museum
Grand Rapids Rise volleyball match vs. San Diego: 7 p.m. at Van Andel Arena
Cancer Survivors Showcase: 7 p.m. at Midtown, free
Drums for All with Josh Dunigan: 7 p.m. at LowellArts, free
Tickets at https://www.laughfestgr.org/

Thursday, March 6:

Clean Comedy Showcase: 8 p.m. at Dr. Grins in the B.O.B.
North Kent Comedy- Mitten State Showcase: 7 p.m. (no tickets currently available) and 9 p.m. at Mitten Brewing Co.
The Dispatch & Friends Improv Comedy Show: 8 p.m. at The Comedy Project

Gospel Fest: 6 p.m. at Resurrection Fellowship Church, free
We Are SO Lucky: 7 p.m. at Midtown, free
Corey B.: 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Gun Lake Casino Resort (no tickets currently available)
Tickets at https://www.laughfestgr.org/

Friday, March 7:

Gabby Bryan: 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at Midtown
Adam Ray: 7 p.m. at Fountain Street Church
Clean Comedy Showcase: 7 p.m. and 9:30 pm. at Dr. Grins in the B.O.B.; 9:30 p.m. 3rd Floor at The B.O.B.
Laughter Rx Symposium: 8:30 a.m. at Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids
TCP’s New Sketch Show: 7 p.m. at The Comedy Project
River City Improv: 7:30 p.m. at Wealthy Theatre
Battle Bots Improv Comedy Show: 9 p.m. at The Comedy Project
Corey B.: 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational UCC of Lowell (no tickets currently available)
Tickets at https://www.laughfestgr.org/

Saturday, March 8:

Gabby Bryan: 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at Midtown
Dan Soder: 7 p.m. at Fountain Street Church
Clean Comedy Showcase: 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on the 3rd Floor at The B.O.B.; 7 p.m. at Dr. Grins in the B.O.B.
Dirty Show: 10 p.m. at The B.O.B.
TCP’s New Sketch Show: 7 p.m. at The Comedy Project
Pop Scholars Improv Comedy: 8 p.m. at Wealthy Theatre
Choose Your Own Improv Comedy Show: 9 p.m. at The Comedy Project
Late Night Comedy Lab: 10:30 p.m. at The Comedy Project
The Virtual Reality Showcase: 2 p.m. at The B.O.B., free
Family Improv: 11 a.m. at Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids, free
Kids Joke Time: 10 a.m. at Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids, free
Drums for All with Josh Dunigan: 9 a.m. at Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids, free
The Gold Rush’ Silent Movie: 2 p.m. at Grand Rapids Public Museum
Tickets at https://www.laughfestgr.org/
Sunday, March 9:

Cooking and Comedy, 3 pm. at Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids
Sunday Night Funnies: 7:30 p.m. at Spectrum Entertainment Complex, free
Tickets at https://www.laughfestgr.org/

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ABOUT GILDA’S LAUGHFEST & GILDA’S CLUB GRAND RAPIDS
Gilda’s LaughFest, the nation’s first-ever community-wide festival of laughter, has quickly earned a reputation for being one of the nation’s marquee events for both participants and artists. This major Midwest festival is based in Grand Rapids and includes events throughout West Michigan. Created by Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids and launched in March 2011 to celebrate laughter for the health of it, the festival features stand-up, improv, showcases and a variety of seriously funny stuff. LaughFest brings together a diverse audience of children and adults every March to honor laughter as an essential part of emotional health and wellbeing. And what better time for a laughter festival than when it’s typically cold, icy, and distinctly un-funny outside?

LaughFest is more than just a seriously good time. It also raises funds and awareness for a very important cause – Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids. Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids is a vibrant FREE emotional health support community of children, adults, families, and friends on any kind of cancer journey or those grieving a death due to any cause. Proceeds from Gilda’s LaughFest and LaughFest’s High Five Campaign benefit Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids.

Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids is named for Gilda Radner, original cast member of Saturday Night Live, who passed away from ovarian cancer in 1989. In her book, It’s Always Something, Gilda said, “My job was to find what was funny about whatever was going on. So, I began to think that I should do the same thing with cancer.” Through her own personal journey, Gilda has reminded those dealing with cancer that it is alright to laugh and smile, even when dealing with life’s tough stuff. With Gilda’s LaughFest, our desire is to help celebrate laughter in all its forms.