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'Seriously Funny' | 10th annual LaughFest underway

The 10-day festival kicks off Thursday, March 5 and will run until Tuesday, March 10.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Gilda's LaughFest is finally here! The 10th annual, 10-day festival celebrating laughter kicks off Thursday, March 5 and will run until Tuesday, March 10. 

Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss opened the festival with a mayoral proclamation Thursday at noon at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. 

Credit: Courtesy photo
From L to R: Wendy Wigger, President of Gilda’s Club, Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss and Dana Friis-Hansen, Executive Director of the Grand Rapids Art Museum.

During LaughFest 2020 there will be more than 150 free and ticketed shows. Over 100 artists will be featured at more than 40 venues in Grand Rapids, Holland, Lowell and Wayland’s Gun Lake Casino, including some big names like Jeff Foxworthy, Jim Gaffigan, Fortune Feimster, Ralph Harris, Russell Peters, JP Sears, and Miranda Sings.

There are many other events during LaughFest including a kid-friendly dance party, yoga, trivia night and so much more. This year LaughFest organizers brought back a festival favorite: a World Record attempt. 

This year, organizers are attempting the largest gathering of people wearing mismatched socks.  The record attempt will happen on Saturday, March 7. Festivities will start at 1:30 p.m. at Studio Park with the actual attempt to begin at 3 p.m. and last five minutes. Participation is free and those interested should arrive by 2:45 p.m. Organizers hope to gather at least 1,000 people.

The goal for this year's event is to raise $50,000. All the proceeds go to Gilda's Club Grand Rapids.  LaughFest was created by Gilda's Club 10 years ago, as a way to support the nonprofit. Gilda's Club offers 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.

A place to purchase tickets and find more information about events and shows, check out laughfestgr.org. If you want to get LaughFest information in person, LaughFest Central is where you want to go. It's the festival headquarters were you can enter for giveaways, purchase tickets and find pretty much anything you need to know about the 10-day event. 

LaughFest Central hours following the start of the festival are as follows: 

  • Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 
  • Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Sunday from noon until 5 p.m.

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