The Great Outdoors Comedy Festival has been a showcase for some of the biggest names in comedy. Referred to by David Spade as “Canada’s biggest picnic” — think of it as a cabaret style outdoor comedy club, celebrating up-and-coming local talent to headliners with massive followings and global comedy specials.Â
Edmonton Exhibition Lands Racetrack Infield
Back at the Racetrack Infield for year 2 saw a hybrid setup of VIP Reserved Tables similar to 2021, but with a new General Admission area. With over 11,150 attendees throughout the 3-day festival, some great funds were raised with continuing partnerships at Boyle Street Community Services and the amazing team at HireGood.
- Nick Swardson
- Bobby Lee
- Pauly Shore
- Becky Robinson
- Todd Ness
- Amy Schumer
- Mia Jackson
- Jaye McBride
- Katie Westman
Prince's Island Park
2022 saw the expansion of the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival down Highway 2 to the beautiful Prince’s Island Park in Calgary, Alberta. The island, just north of downtown, is an incredible venue that welcomed over 14,000 attendees at 4 shows for the inaugural weekend event. $10,000 was raised for the Kinkonauts Scholarship Program providing funding for individuals who belong to currently underrepresented communities so they can attend the improv classes they offer. $5,000 was raised for Kids Up Front and the Autism Aspergers Friendship Society, as well as HireGood was back on site helping us out on the grounds!
- David Spade
- Whitney Cummings
- Donnell Rawlings
- Katie Westman
- Chris Redd
- Melissa Villasenor
- Alex Moffat
- James Austin Johnson
- Tarah Buchanan
- Bill Burr
- Dean Delray
- Nate Craig
- Todd Ness
Edmonton Exhibition Lands Racetrack Infield
After having had the goal of producing a comedy festival for a number of years and, if not for COVID-19, wanting to launch it in Summer 2020, Trixstar believed there was no better time to unveil the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival than in the Summer of 2021. With over 7,000 attendees, the two-day inaugural GOCF in Edmonton was a resounding success for all involved; creating over 700 jobs for an industry that was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and raising over $150,000 for local not-for-profits in a much needed time. We were happy to partner with Boyle Street Community Services, HireGood, STARS Air Ambulance, and the Centre for Arts & Music and send some funding their way after a tough 2020.
- David Spade
- Nikki Glaser
- Donnell Rawlings
- Sean Lecomber
- Chelsea Handler
- Trent McClellan
- Cindy Rivers
- Lars Callieou