A youth workshop that includes an introduction to different areas of comedy is also available.

Registration for youth (ages 11-17) and adults is now open and space is limited to 15 spots per class. Classes are presented in partnership with Jamestown Community College’s Center for Continuing Education. Call JCC’s Carnahan Center at (716)338-1005 to enroll today, or click below. Single session evening workshops and accommodations are available.

Comedy Bootcamp Experience: Improv Intensive – Buy tickets!

Comedy Bootcamp Experience: Stand-Up Shakedown – Buy tickets!

Doors: 7:30 pm / Show: 8:00 pm
Reg Lenna Civic Center Theater
Jamestown, NY
$30.00 – $70.00

Buy tickets!

Star of Mike & Molly, CBS’s #1 new series in 2011, Billy Gardell is a stand-up powerhouse whose 2011 Comedy Central special, Halftime, received rave reviews. The Pittsburgh native is known for his grounded, down-to-earth point of view that strikes a strong chord with American audiences.

Doors: 8:00 pm / Show: 8:30 pm
Reg Lenna Civic Center Theater
Jamestown, NY
$15.00 – $30.00

Buy tickets!

Stand-Up Showcase features some of the hottest rising comics in the country, co-produced by San Francisco-based Rooftop Comedy, the world’s largest producer of interactive comedy programming. With host & musical guest Lucie Arnaz (daughter of Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz) you will be talking about this show for years to come. Lucy Fest has featured performances by then-rising stars Ray Romano, Lewis Black and Ellen Degeneres, and aims to catch comics on a similar rise to the top with this showcase.

Doors: 7:30 pm / Show: 8:00 pm
Reg Lenna Civic Center Theater
Jamestown, NY
$15.00 – $40.00

Buy tickets!

Back by overwhelming popular demand, Paula Poundstone is a regular panelist on NPR’S hit weekly news quiz show, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me, which won a Peabody Award for broadcasting excellence. A brilliant standup comic who tours regularly across the country, her spontaneity with the audience has become the stuff of legend. She is the first woman to receive the Cable ACE for Best Standup Comedy Special, and she has been named one of Comedy Central’s 100 Greatest Comics of All Time.

9:00am – 10:00am
Early Bird Special – FREE
Receive an extra 10% off your favorite I Love Lucy merchandise!

12:00pm
Tropicana Room Lunch: 7 Days’ Leave – $20
Enjoy lunch while watching Seven Days’ Leave, a 1942 comedy starring Lucille Ball and Victor Mature in the legendary Tropicana Room, a re-creation of Ricky Ricardo’s famous Manhattan night club. A unique recent acquisition of original publicity photos from the movie will be on display.
Buy tickets!

2:00pm
Lucy Town Bus Tour – $20
See Jamestown, New York & near-by Celoron through the eyes of Lucy. An ever-popular guided tour of Lucy’s hometown, our “LucyTown Tours”, with a friendly and knowledgeable step-on guide, will take you to places of significance to Lucille Ball. You will see the house that she was born in, the house where she grew up, the site of the grand Celoron Amusement park that was her adolescent stomping ground, and much more. Duration 1hr 50min. Buy tickets!

5:30pm
Lucy 101 & “Being Fred Mertz” with Bill Chott & T. Faye Griffin – $25
Why was “Lucy” so funny? An analysis of the varied types of comedy genius employed by the “I Love Lucy” show, and a unique look at “Being Fred Mertz.” Discussion presented by T. Faye Griffin and Bill Chott. Griffin, a comedy expert, is a former writer and segment producer for the show “In Living Color” and the BET Network, as well as a personal joke writer for Steve Harvey. Chott, known for his award-winning portrayal of Fred Mertz in “I Love Lucy Live on Stage”, toured alongside Tina Fey and Amy Poehler in The Second City Comedy Troupe before re-uniting with former troupe-mates Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell to work on “The Dana Carvey Show” and “Saturday Night Live”. Duration 90 minutes. Buy tickets!

4:00pm
Lucy Town Bus Tour – $20
See Jamestown, New York & near-by Celoron through the eyes of Lucy. An ever-popular guided tour of Lucy’s hometown, our “LucyTown Tours”, with a friendly and knowledgeable step-on guide, will take you to places of significance to Lucille Ball. You will see the house that she was born in, the house where she grew up, the site of the grand Celoron Amusement park that was her adolescent stomping ground, and much more. Duration 1hr 50min.
Buy tickets!

8:00pm
Paranormal Investigation: Lake View Cemetery – $25
Join Jamestown’s own ghost hunters, JPI, on a tour of Lakeview Cemetery. Learn more about the cemetery and some of the people buried there, and maybe discover a ghost or two. This event is 18 and over. Buy tickets!

Thursday, August 2nd

9:00am – 10:00am
Early Bird Special – FREE
Receive an extra 10% off your favorite I Love Lucy merchandise

10:00am
Lucy’s Lake View Cemetery Tour – $15
Tour Lake View Cemetery in a beautiful horse-drawn, covered carriage. Visit the resting places of Ball, her family, & others who touched her life. Featuring local actors, this is a must see event!
Buy tickets!

11:00am
Comedy College – $25
Explore the different types of comedy as captured in I Love Lucy. A director will help you re-create scenes from classic episodes & you will have the chance to perform in front of your friends, family, & fellow fans. It’s all about the unedited presentation that makes this a laugh-out-loud event!
Buy tickets!

11:00am
Lucy’s Lake View Cemetery Tour – $15
Tour Lake View Cemetery in a beautiful horse-drawn, covered carriage. Visit the resting places of Ball, her family, & others who touched her life. Featuring local actors, this is a must see event!
Buy tickets!

11:30am
Lucy Town Bus Tour – $20
See Jamestown, New York & near-by Celoron through the eyes of Lucy. An ever-popular guided tour of Lucy’s hometown, our “LucyTown Tours”, with a friendly and knowledgeable step-on guide, will take you to places of significance to Lucille Ball. You will see the house that she was born in, the house where she grew up, the site of the grand Celoron Amusement park that was her adolescent stomping ground, and much more. Duration 1hr 50min.
Buy tickets!

 
1:00pm
Gregg Oppenheimer Book Signing – FREE
Meet Gregg Oppenheimer, producer of the I Love Lucy DVDs and son of I Love Lucy creator-producer-head writer Jess Oppenheimer. Gregg will be signing copies of the book he co-authored with his dad: Laughs, Luck…and Lucy: How I Came to Create the Most Popular Sitcom of All Time. TV Guide Online called this fascinating and funny behind-the-scenes account “a must-have for Lucy lovers.”

2:00pm
Lucy Town Bus Tour – $20
See Jamestown, New York & near-by Celoron through the eyes of Lucy. An ever-popular guided tour of Lucy’s hometown, our “LucyTown Tours”, with a friendly and knowledgeable step-on guide, will take you to places of significance to Lucille Ball. You will see the house that she was born in, the house where she grew up, the site of the grand Celoron Amusement park that was her adolescent stomping ground, and much more. Duration 1hr 50min.
Buy tickets!

2:00pm
Paranormal Investigation: Reg Lenna – $25
Join Jamestown’s own ghost hunters, JPI, on a tour of the Reg Lenna Civic Center. Learn more about this historic theatre, and maybe discover a ghost or two. This event is 18 and over. Buy tickets!

5:00pm
Tropicana Dinner: Circus of the Stars – $25
Relish in the 1977 CBS special “Circus of the Stars” where Lucille Ball played the ringmaster, followed by a donation presentation by WCA Hospital of the original costume that Lucille Ball wore in this one-time hit special.
Buy tickets!

8:00pm
Paula Poundstone – $15 to $40
Back by overwhelming popular demand, Paula Poundstone is a regular panelist on NPR’S hit weekly news quiz show, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me, which won a Peabody Award for broadcasting excellence. A brilliant standup comic who tours regularly across the country, her spontaneity with the audience has become the stuff of legend. She is the first woman to receive the Cable ACE for Best Standup Comedy Special, and she has been named one of Comedy Central’s 100 Greatest Comics of All Time.
Buy tickets!

10:00pm
Paranormal Investigation: Lake View Cemetery – $25
Join Jamestown’s own ghost hunters, JPI, on a tour of Lakeview Cemetery. Learn more about the cemetery and some of the people buried there, and maybe discover a ghost or two. This event is 18 and over. Buy tickets!

Friday, August 3rd

9:00am – 10:00am
Early Bird Special – FREE
Receive an extra 10% off your favorite I Love Lucy merchandise!

TBD
Elisabeth Edwards Book Signing- FREE

10:00am
Photo Op with the Fabulous Four – $100
Get your photo taken with Lucy, Ricky, Fred, and Ethel on the Tropicana set! Buy tickets!

10:00am
Lucy Town Bus Tour – $20
See Jamestown, New York & near-by Celoron through the eyes of Lucy. An ever-popular guided tour of Lucy’s hometown, our “LucyTown Tours”, with a friendly and knowledgeable step-on guide, will take you to places of significance to Lucille Ball. You will see the house that she was born in, the house where she grew up, the site of the grand Celoron Amusement park that was her adolescent stomping ground, and much more. Duration 1hr 50min. Buy tickets!

10:00am
Members Only Archive Event
Have your photo taken with never before seen archive memorabilia.

11:00am-8pm
Party on the Plaza
Enjoy live bands, comedy, food, spirits & more on the beautiful Tracy Plaza.
Also, don’t miss out on this year’s Lucy World Games! Compete in grape stomping, candy wrapping, and the world’s most comprehensive “I Love Lucy” trivia contest ever believed to be held. Then it’s time to dress for success…for the Lucy costume contest.

12:00pm
Gregg Oppenheimer Lunch – $35
Having grown up in and around the sound stages of I Love Lucy, Gregg Oppenheimer returns to Jamestown to share more “behind the scenes” stories in this one-of-a-kind Tropicana Room presentation. Oppenheimer, son of I Love Lucy creator Jess Oppenheimer, has appeared on the CBS News, CNN, E!, Entertainment Tonight, A & E’s Biography, Donnie and Marie, MSNBC, and the History Channel, and is the co-author of his father’s memoir, Laughs, Luck and Lucy: How I Came to Create the Most Successful Sitcom of All Time. Buy tickets!

1:30pm
Lucy’s Lake View Cemetery Tour – $15
Tour Lake View Cemetery in a beautiful horse-drawn, covered carriage. Visit the resting places of Ball, her family, & others who touched her life. Featuring local actors, this is a must see event! Buy tickets!

2:00pm
Lucy Town Bus Tour – $20
See Jamestown, New York & near-by Celoron through the eyes of Lucy. An ever-popular guided tour of Lucy’s hometown, our “LucyTown Tours”, with a friendly and knowledgeable step-on guide, will take you to places of significance to Lucille Ball. You will see the house that she was born in, the house where she grew up, the site of the grand Celoron Amusement park that was her adolescent stomping ground, and much more. Duration 1hr 50min. Buy tickets!

2:00pm
Comedy College – $25
Explore the different types of comedy as captured in I Love Lucy. A director will help you re-create scenes from classic episodes & you will have the chance to perform in front of your friends, family, & fellow fans. It’s all about the unedited presentation that makes this a laugh-out-loud event! Buy tickets!

2:30pm
Lucy’s Lake View Cemetery Tour – $15
Tour Lake View Cemetery in a beautiful horse-drawn, covered carriage. Visit the resting places of Ball, her family, & others who touched her life. Featuring local actors, this is a must see event! Buy tickets!

4:00pm
Gregg Oppenheimer Book Signing – FREE
Meet Gregg Oppenheimer, producer of the I Love Lucy DVDs and son of I Love Lucy creator-producer-head writer Jess Oppenheimer. Gregg will be signing copies of the book he co-authored with his dad: Laughs, Luck…and Lucy: How I Came to Create the Most Popular Sitcom of All Time. TV Guide Online called this fascinating and funny behind-the-scenes account “a must-have for Lucy lovers.”

5:00pm
Dinner with the Ricardos & Mertzs – $45
Enjoy dinner in the beautiful & historic, newly-renovated Crown Theater with Lucy, Ricky, Fred & Ethel. Enjoy I Love Lucy-style antics with professional impersonators while they take you through your laugh-out-loud meal. Buy tickets!

8:30pm
Stand-Up Showcase w/ Lucie Arnaz – $15 to $30
Stand-Up Showcase features some of the hottest rising comics in the country, co-produced by San Francisco-based Rooftop Comedy, the world’s largest producer of interactive comedy programming. With host & musical guest Lucie Arnaz (daughter of Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz) you will be talking about this show for years to come. Lucy Fest has featured performances by then-rising stars Ray Romano, Lewis Black and Ellen Degeneres, and aims to catch comics on a similar rise to the top with this showcase. Buy tickets!

9:00pm
Lucy Under The Stars – FREE
Relish in I Love Lucy on an outdoor screen with fans and friends.

10:30 pm
Late Night Comedy – $15
Join us late night in the Tropicana Room for a showcase of stand-up’s hottest, rising stars! Buy tickets!

10:30pm
Lucy Night At Roberto’s
Get together with other Lucy fans at Roberto’s and watch “I Love Lucy” episodes on their large-screen TVs. The perfect place for late-night snacks, drinks and fun!

Saturday, August 4th

9:00am – 10:00am
Early Bird Special – FREE
Receive an extra 10% off your favorite I Love Lucy merchandise!

10:00am
Brunch with the Ricardos & Mertzs – $45
Enjoy brunch in the beautiful & historic, newly-renovated Crown Theater with Lucy, Ricky, Fred & Ethel. Enjoy I Love Lucy-style antics with professional impersonators while they take you through your laugh-out-loud meal. Buy tickets!

10:00am
Lucy Town Bus Tour – $20
See Jamestown, New York & near-by Celoron through the eyes of Lucy. An ever-popular guided tour of Lucy’s hometown, our “LucyTown Tours”, with a friendly and knowledgeable step-on guide, will take you to places of significance to Lucille Ball. You will see the house that she was born in, the house where she grew up, the site of the grand Celoron Amusement park that was her adolescent stomping ground, and much more. Duration 1hr 50min. Buy tickets!

10:00am
Lucy’s Lake View Cemetery Tour – $15
Tour Lake View Cemetery in a beautiful horse-drawn, covered carriage. Visit the resting places of Ball, her family, & others who touched her life. Featuring local actors, this is a must see event! Buy tickets!

11:00am-8pm
Party on the Plaza
Enjoy live bands, comedy, food, spirits & more on the beautiful Tracy Plaza.
Also, don’t miss out on this year’s Lucy World Games! Compete in grape stomping, candy wrapping, and the world’s most comprehensive “I Love Lucy” trivia contest ever believed to be held. Then it’s time to dress for success…for the Lucy costume contest.

11:00am
Story Pirates: Kids Comedy Show – $4 to $7
The Story Pirates, who were recently featured with Conan O’Brien, are a critically acclaimed arts and creative writing organization founded in 2003 to celebrate the words and ideas of young people, to promote literacy as a vital part of education, and to preserve the spark of youthful creativity. The non-profit group that has been featured on the Today Show has grown to reach hundreds of thousands of children in over 200 schools across the country.This sketch comedy musical is performed by professional actors but based entirely on writing from students. For children under 12 who’d like to be featured at the show, please submit original stories to info@lucy-desi.com today! Buy tickets!

12:30pm
Lucy World Games: “Lucy” Costume Contest – $5
By overwhelming request, Lucy World Games features a live Costume Contest with several categories. Details to follow. $5 to compete. Times subject to change. Buy tickets!

12:30pm
Lucy Town Bus Tour – $20
See Jamestown, New York & near-by Celoron through the eyes of Lucy. An ever-popular guided tour of Lucy’s hometown, our “LucyTown Tours”, with a friendly and knowledgeable step-on guide, will take you to places of significance to Lucille Ball. You will see the house that she was born in, the house where she grew up, the site of the grand Celoron Amusement park that was her adolescent stomping ground, and much more. Duration 1hr 50min. Buy tickets!

2:00pm
Lucy World Games: “Lucy” Trivia Contest
Get ready for for the world’s largest Lucy trivia contest held to date! Compete in live, a game-show style event and see how you stack up among the greatest gathering of Lucy fans. Do you have what it takes to be the #1 I Love Lucy Fan? Start studying your episodes today! Times subject to change. Buy tickets!

4:00pm
Live Lucy Comedy Radio Show – $15
Be part of the “studio audience” for a live “Lucy” radio comedy show!
By popular demand, Gregg Oppenheimer, son of I Love Lucy creator Jess Oppenheimer, returns to Jamestown to direct more radio comedy on the stage of the beautiful Reg Lenna Theater. Last year, on this same stage, the world premiere of his original production I Love Lucy: The Untold Story was a huge success — so much so that it was the subject of four nationwide broadcasts on SiriusXM™ Radio. This year’s laugh-filled show opens with another original behind-the-scenes look at the creation of I Love Lucy — the world premiere of Gregg Oppenheimer’s “Finding Fred and Ethel.” Next up is a side-splitting episode of Jess Oppenheimer’s first sitcom, Baby Snooks, the show that inspired him to create the character we know as “Lucy Ricardo.” And to round out the program, another hilarious episode of Lucille Ball’s radio sitcom, My Favorite Husband: “Valentine’s Day” (later adapted for TV into the I Love Lucy episode “Lucy Plays Cupid.”). All three shows will be performed in the style of old-time radio, with the actors standing at microphones on the stage, plus sound effects and music, including live singers. Duration 80 min. Buy tickets!

4:00pm
Lucy Town Bus Tour – $20
See Jamestown, New York & near-by Celoron through the eyes of Lucy. An ever-popular guided tour of Lucy’s hometown, our “LucyTown Tours”, with a friendly and knowledgeable step-on guide, will take you to places of significance to Lucille Ball. You will see the house that she was born in, the house where she grew up, the site of the grand Celoron Amusement park that was her adolescent stomping ground, and much more. Duration 1hr 50min. Buy tickets!

6:00pm
Dinner with the Ricardos & Mertzs – $45
Enjoy dinner in the beautiful & historic, newly-renovated Crown Theater with Lucy, Ricky, Fred & Ethel. Enjoy I Love Lucy-style antics with professional impersonators while they take you through your laugh-out-loud meal. Buy tickets!

8:00pm
Billy Gardell – $30 to $70
Star of Mike & Molly, CBS’s #1 new series in 2011, Billy Gardell is a stand-up powerhouse whose 2011 Comedy Central special, Halftime, received rave reviews. The Pittsburgh native is known for his grounded, down-to-earth point of view that strikes a strong chord with American audiences. Buy tickets!

9:00pm
Lucy Under the Stars – FREE
Relish in I Love Lucy on an outdoor screen with fans & friends.

10:30pm
Late Night Comedy – $15
Join us late night in the Tropicana Room for a showcase of stand-up’s hottest, rising stars! Buy tickets!

10:30pm
Lucy Night At Roberto’s
Get together with other Lucy fans at Roberto’s and watch “I Love Lucy” episodes on their large-screen TVs. The perfect place for late-night snacks, drinks and fun!

Sunday, August 5th

9:30am
Summer Wind Cruise
Lucy loved the lake & you can, too. A refreshing 2hr cruise on the beautiful Chautauqua Lake aboard The Summer Wind. A light brunch and refreshments will be provided.
Buy tickets!

11:00am
Presentation: Celoron Amusement Park Through Lucy’s Eyes
Celoron Mayor John M. Keeney shares a historic remembrance of Celoron Amusement Park, focusing on the time period it served as Lucille Gall’s stomping ground in her formative years. Buy tickets!

1:00pm
Picnic in the Park & Fan Spotlight
Cap off a week of festivities with a picnic at the Lucille Ball Memorial Park, where fans gather to share momentos. Buy tickets!

3:00pm
Lucy’s Tea Party
Join us for an afternoon of laughs and tasty treats. Enjoy a traditional afternoon tea with a Lucy twist at the Historic Athenaeum Hotel. Scones will be served with clotted cream, jam and lemon curd. Be treated to savory tea sandwiches, dainty and delicate pastries and fine loose teas. The Athenaeum Hotel, built in 1881, overlooks Chautauqua Lake and is located with the grounds of the world-famous Chautauqua Institution, where Lucille Ball once took part in a theater production. Buy tickets!

Bill Chott, who will be teaching and performing at Lucy Fest 2012, was recently awarded a 2012 INNY Award for “Best Improv Coach” for his work at The Improv Trick, his improv theater academy in both St. Louis and Los Angeles. This national award is given annually by Improvisation News. Other award winners include Saturday Night Live for Best Comedy Video, Flight of the Conchords for Best Comedy Song, Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre for Best Venue, and Chicago’s Second City for Best Training Program.

Chott is one of three comedy instructors launching the Lucy Desi Center’s comedic arts education program, with workshops from July 30^th – August 3^rd, culminating with trainees receiving stage time at the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival Aug. 1-5. Chott, who also recently received an award for “Best Featured Actor in a Musical” for his work as Fred Mertz in I Love Lucy Live on Stage and starred as the Principal Laritate in Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place, will teach workshops in Jamestown for youth ages 11-17 and adults.

Presented in partnership with Jamestown Community College’s Center for Continuing Education, classes include intensive training in the areas of improv (Improv Intensive), sketch comedy (Sketch, Pitch & Produce) and stand-up (Stand-Up Shakedown), and will be taught by Chott, T. Faye Griffin, and Andy Engel, respectively.  Griffin is a former writer and producer for both the show In Living Color and the BET Network, as well as a personal joke writer for Steve Harvey. Engel is the founder of Manhattan Comedy School and the Director of New Talent at the Gotham Comedy Club.

All students completing a workshop will have an opportunity for stage time at Lucy Fest, and students completing the workshop led by Andy Engel will earn a six-minute guest spot on stage at The Gotham Comedy Club in New York City, named by USA Today as one of the top 10 comedy clubs in the nation.

Registration for youth and adults is now open and space is limited to 15 spots per class.  Call JCC’s Carnahan Center at (716)338-1005 to enroll today, and visit www.Lucy-Desi.com for more information. Accommodations are available.

Chott recently appeared in The Rum Diary with Johnny Depp, will appear in Disney’s Santa Pups this winter, and toured for years with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler in the Second City Comedy Troupe before writing for both SNL and The Dana Carvey Show. Visit his website at billchott.wordpress.com for more information.

Buy tickets to Lucy Costume Contest (Saturday, August 4th. 12:30pm) – $5

Buy tickets to Lucy Trivia Contest (Saturday, August 4th. 2:00pm) – $5

CBS & Comedy Central star Billy Gardell, Paula Poundstone, Lucie Arnaz, Story Pirates, Comedy Workshops, Lucy World Games, Party on the Plaza, LateNight Comedy & more

Featured performers:

The star of the hit show Mike & Molly, CBS’s #1 new series in 2011, comedian Billy Gardell will headline an event that last year had a direct impact of $3.6 million to the Chautauqua County economy: the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival August 1-5 in Jamestown, NY.

The Pittsburgh native is known to more than 12 million TV viewers each week, appeared in his own hour-long Comedy Central Special in 2011, and will be performing to a house of 1,260 seats, The Reg Lenna Civic Center, in Jamestown Saturday, August 4.  Tickets are on sale at www.LucyComedyFest.com.

Paula Poundstone, one of Comedy Central’s 100 Greatest Comedians of All-Time and panelist on NPR’s Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me will headline the Thursday, August 2nd evening.

Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, will be the host and musical guest of a showcase of some of the hottest rising comics in the country on August 3rd. Lucy Fest has featured performances by then-rising stars Ray Romano, Lewis Black and Ellen Degeneres in the early nineties, and aims to catch comics on a similar rise to the top with this showcase.

Kids comedy includes the critically-acclaimed comedy troupe, Story Pirates, seen on CNN’s Larry King, NBC’s Today, and recently live on stage with Conan O’Brien. This non-profit creative writing organization made up of professional actors and comedians performs a show based on stories written by children.  Kids can submit stories at www.LucyComedyFest.com for the show on Saturday, August 4^th, great for ages 4-12.

Other highlighted events & shows:

Live “Lucy” Radio Plays: Gregg Oppenheimer, son of I Love Lucy creator Jess Oppenheimer, returns to direct more radio comedy after the 2011 world premiere of his original production I Love Lucy: The Untold Story it was the subject of four nationwide broadcasts on SiriusXM™’s Radio Classics. This year’s laugh-filled show opens with another original behind-the-scenes look at the creation of I Love Lucy — the world premiere of Finding Fred and Ethel.  Next up is a side-splitting episode of Jess Oppenheimer’s first sitcom, Baby Snooks, the show that inspired him to create the character we know as “Lucy Ricardo.” Rounding out the program is another hilarious episode of Lucille Ball’s radio sitcom, My Favorite Husband: Valentine’s Day (later adapted for TV into the I Love Lucy episode Lucy Plays).

“Party on the Plaza” & “Lucy Olympics” Friday and Saturday featuring live bands, vendors, drinks and a competition at City Hall in which contestants can compete in grape stomping from the “Lucy’s Italian Movie” episode, conveyer-belt candy wrapping from the famous “Job Switching” episode, the most comprehensive I Love Lucy trivia contest ever believed to have been held and a costume contest featuring several categories.  Opening Ceremonies are at 6pm, Friday, Aug. 3^rd on Tracy Plaza at City Hall.

Late Night Comedy in the Tropicana Room: Comics from around the nation try their newest and sometimes blue-est material in this re-creation of Ricky Ricardo’s famous Manhattan night club from 10:30pm-12:00am Friday, Aug. 3^rd and Saturday, Aug. 4^th.

Museum, Town & Cemetery Tours:  Enjoy a two-hour bus tour with a step-on guide featuring places of significance in Lucille Ball’s life, visit the resting places of Lucille Ball and family members on a horse-drawn trolley through Lakeview Cemetery, and don’t miss an opportunity to tour the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum & Desilu Studios dual attraction.

Dinner Theater with the Ricardos & Mertzs:  (Note: often sells out well in advance. Reserve early.) Brunch, lunch and dinner shows featuring the four friends from I Love Lucy, including professional impersonators from Universal Studios Florida, and “Fred Mertz” from the LA sensation “Lucy LIVE on Stage”.

Author Book Signings:  Attending this year’s festival for book signings will be Elisabeth Edwards, author of I Love Lucy: A Celebration of All Things Lucy: Inside the World of Television’s First Great Sitcom and numerous other “Lucy” titles, James Sheridan, author of Lucille Ball: Q&A, and Gregg Oppenheimer, co-author of his father’s memoir, Laughs, Luck…and Lucy: How I Came to Create the Most Popular Sitcom of All Time.

Lucy Under the Stars:  outdoor film screenings 9pm Aug. 3-4.

Celoron Amusement Park through Lucy’s Eyes:  Presentation by Celoron Mayor Jack Keeney on Lucille Ball’s time at the magnificent Celoron Amusement Park, once the “Coney Island” of the region.

Boat Cruise on Chautauqua Lake: Enjoy a refreshing two-hour cruise aboard the rain-or-shine-safe Summer Wind, departing from Lucille Ball Memorial Celoron Park and the former site of the famous Celoron Amusement Park, Lucy’s adolescent stomping ground.  Sunday, Aug. 5.

Members-Only Archive Event:  Have your picture taken with never-before-seen items from our archive collection of memorabilia from the estates of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

Lucy’s Tea Party at the historic Athenaeum Hotel in Chautauqua Institution:  traditional afternoon tea with a Lucy twist served overlooking Chautauqua Lake from a structure built in 1881.

Tickets for these and additional events are on sale at www.LucyComedyFest.com.

Lucille Ball Comedy Fest Boot Camp Experience:

Debuting this summer, The Lucy Desi Center for Comedy is providing comedic workshops that benefit both the experienced comedian and curious first-timer in the areas of improv (Improv Intensive), sketch comedy (Sketch Writing: Page to Stage) and stand-up (Stand-Up Shakedown). Workshops will be held from July 30^th-August 3^rd to culminate with stage opportunities at the festival Aug. 1-5.

All students completing a workshop will have an opportunity for stage time at Lucy Fest, and students completing Stand-Up Shakedown will earn a six-minute guest spot on stage at The Gotham Comedy Club in Manhattan, named one of the Top Ten Comedy Clubs by USA Today.

A youth workshop that includes an introduction to different areas of comedy is also available for kids ages 11-17.  www.LucyComedyFest.com

Lucy Fest 2011:

According to an economic impact study conducted by Buffalo firm Paradigm Economics and commissioned by the Lucy Desi Center for Comedy and the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, the 2011 five-day festival saw 13,000 attendees and had a direct impact of $3.6 million on the city of Jamestown and Chautauqua County.

The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, or “Lucy Fest,” embodies Ball’s vision for her hometown legacy: a celebration of the comedic arts held annually on the weekend closest to her birth date, August 6.  Lucy Fest 2011 commemorated Lucille Ball’s 100th birthday, set an attendance high at 13,000 attendees, featured more than ten comedians from NYC, Boston, Atlanta, San Francisco and Los Angeles performing over five days, and made international news with the setting of a Guinness World Record for “Most People Dressed as Lucy Ricardo” with 916.

The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival is the first pillar in a four-pillar Legacy of Laughter vision for the organization, including a comedic arts education program, comedy film festival and the establishment of the first national comedy museum and hall of fame.

The mission of the Lucy Desi Center for Comedy, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is to preserve the legacy of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and enrich the world through the healing powers of love and laughter through its commitment to the development of the comedic arts.

JAMESTOWN, NY –  June 19th, 2012 – The Story Pirates, a group of professional comedians who base their show on stories written by children, brought their critically-acclaimed act to a cheering crowd of 3^rd-4^th graders at the Reg Lenna Civic Center on June 19th as a special sneak preview to their show Aug. 4^th during the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival. The Lucy Desi Center for Comedy and the Arts Council teamed up to fund and provide this show for the Jamestown Public Schools at no cost, and opened it up to any other school who would be able to get its students transported.

The show, which featured stories written by kids from across the country, never had a dull moment. Whether it was the story about the girl who did exactly what her dog did or the story about flying cats, kids kept cheering.

As a special treat, The Story Pirates announced they will be accepting stories from local students and will premiere sketches written by local kids at their upcoming show at the Lucille Ball Comedy Fest on Aug. 4^th at 11am. Their show is funny for all, but it’s especially great for children ages 4-12. All children can submit their own original stories to info@lucy-desi.com by July 1 for a chance to be featured at the show. Tickets are available at LucyComedyFest.com and at the Lucy Desi Center for Comedy by calling 716-484-0800.

The Story Pirates, who were recently featured with Conan O’Brien, are a critically-acclaimed arts and creative writing organization founded in 2003 to celebrate the words and ideas of young people, to promote literacy as a vital part of education, and to preserve the spark of youthful creativity. The non-profit group that has been featured on the Today Show has grown to reach hundreds of thousands of children in over 200 schools across the country.

About The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival

The 2012 festival August 1-5 features Billy Gardell of the CBS hit Mike & Molly and his own 2011 Comedy Central Special: Halftime, Paula Poundstone – named Top 100 Comedians of All Time by Comedy Central, Lucie Arnaz, The Story Pirates kids comedy, Live Lucy Radio Plays, Dinner Theater with The Ricardos & Mertzes, museum & town tours, Late Night Comedy in the Tropicana Room, “Party on the Plaza” Friday and Saturday featuring bands, vendors, drinks and the Lucy World Games of grape-stomping, conveyer-belt candy-wrapping, I Love Lucy Trivia, a costume contest, and much more.  Tickets and information are available at www.LucyComedyFest.com.

The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, or “Lucy Fest,” embodies Ball’s vision for her hometown legacy: a celebration of the comedic arts held annually on the weekend closest to her birth date, August 6th.

According to an economic impact study conducted by Buffalo firm Paradigm Economics, the 2011 five-day festival saw 13,000 in attendance and had a direct impact of $3.6 million on Chautauqua County.

The 2011 Lucy Fest featured more than ten comedians from NYC, Boston, Atlanta, San Francisco and Los Angeles performing over five days, and made international news with the setting of a Guinness World Record for “Most People Dressed as Lucy Ricardo” with 916 on Lucille Ball’s 100^th birthday.

The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival is the first pillar in a four-pillar Legacy of Laughter vision for the organization including a comedic arts education program, comedy film festival and the establishment of the first national comedy museum and hall of fame.

The mission of the Lucy Desi Center for Comedy, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is to preserve the legacy of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and enrich the world through the healing powers of love and laughter through its commitment to the development of the comedic arts.