The Fraser Valley will become home to the second largest comedy festival in British Columbia this fall with the inaugural launch of the Fraser Valley Comedy Festival.
“There’s a starved market,” said Harry Doupe, who’s helping to produce the festival. “But doing a festival in this region seemed really natural.”
Doupe, is a comedian with more than three decades experience under his belt making people laugh. He’s performed in more than 4,000 shows, produced hundreds of live events, and is an acclaimed television writer, having written dozen of award shows, including Junos, Geminis, and NHLs.
And in addition to being the first comic to perform at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre on three occasions, and his multiple appearances on Just for Laughs, Doupe help found and build Calgary’s YYComedy Festival into one of the country’s largest.
“(The Fraser Valley) has experienced so much recent growth,” said Doupe. That now “the region is grossly under-served for entertainment options. We have some great venues (in the area) … and the timing is right for this one.”
Kicking off on Oct. 18, the festival will run until Oct. 27, and will feature shows across the Fraser Valley in Langley, Abbotsford, Mission, Chilliwack, and Hope.
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“We wanted to cover the region in acts and spread out options … with stacked options,” said Doupe.
Included in the Festival’s lineup are top comedic names like Debra DiGiovanni, a four-time Canadian Comedy Award winner, Ivan Decker from The Debaters,and Kristeen Von Hagen, a two-time Best Female Stand-Up winner at the Canadian Comedy Awards, plus dozens of others.
Tickets to the Fraser Valley Comedy Festival will be “economically priced” depending on the show, but Doupe says the range will go up to $37.
For more information, please visit their website at FraserValleyComedyFestival.com, the Fraser Valley Comedy Facebook page, or email Harry Doupe at HarryDoupe@gmail.com.
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