Comedy Fest 2022: What Local Businesses Are Doing To Prepare

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JAMESTOWN, NY (WNY News Now) – The 2022 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival kicks off on Wednesday, and local businesses are gearing up for the thousands of tourists esteemed to make the trip to the Jamestown area.

The Reg Lenna Center for the Arts is among those preparing for the projected thousands of people that will descend on downtown Jamestown.

“When the population gets bigger here during the comedy festival, we spruce things up outside and indoors,“ explained Marketing Director Len Barry. “We just painted our stage floor and a couple other areas, just to clean it up a little bit, as we do before most events.”

Overall, those with the Reg Lenna want visitors to take home new experiences.

“Having a live theatrical experience is just wonderful,“ stated Barry. “For some folks it’s the first time that they’re coming to the theater, for other folks, it’s the first time they’re coming to see stand-up comedy.”

Just down the street from the Reg Lenna, sits the Hotspot Café, where owner Hector Alverio has already seen some interest in the comedy festival.

“We’re ready for them,“ explained Alverio. “A lot of beautiful people are coming into town, people are coming in from all over the place, I’ve talked to people already, who’ve been here all week. They came in on Monday or Tuesday, they’re all over coming in over the weekend, they’re going to be here all week, it’s going to be a crazy week, and Jamestown does nice job to put a festival together. This one, it’s going to be a big one, so people get ready for it, come down.”

The Hotspot Café itself will stay open longer, have live musical talent, and many other treats for Jamestown visitors.

“The restaurant’s going to be open, we’re going to be outside serving hotdogs, hamburgers, stuff like that, we’re going to set up another car,“ stated Alverio. “We have a lot going on.”