"I didn't think I'd be doing this after five years," says Zoe Rogers, founder and organizer of the Boulder Comedy Festival. "I just tried it; I wasn't sure if anyone would come, but let's see. I reached out to friends around the country and was like, ‘Hey, would you want to be in my comedy festival and maybe sleep on my couch for three nights?’ That’s kind of how the first year went, so it's wild now to be five years into running this festival."
Taking place Wednesday, June 25, to Sunday, June 29, this year’s Boulder Comedy Festival spans multiple venues across Boulder County, including the Dairy Arts Center, Junkyard Social Club, The End in Lafayette and the Louisville Underground. The lineup features 37 standup comics — some local, some national — with credits ranging from Netflix to Comedy Central.
But what truly sets this festival apart is its mission: to center women and underrepresented voices in comedy, offering a platform where everyone feels seen, heard and, most importantly, able to laugh freely.
"I've been doing comedy now for about thirteen years, and I created the Boulder Comedy Festival because there was a lack of diversity onstage," Rogers says. "It was so obvious, but no one was saying anything, or if they did, they were whispering in the back of the room."
Rogers realized she needed to start the festival while performing a Sunday night show in the urine-scented back room of a pub. Despite the lack of security and the presence of drunken football fans onstage, the set's lineup piqued her interest.
"I remember looking on stage and thinking it was a really good, diverse show," Rogers recalls. "This show has more diversity than any other show happening right now. Unfortunately, it's in the back of this bar, but wouldn't it be cool if this was happening more regularly?"
That simple but revolutionary thought became the foundation for the Boulder Comedy Festival. Rogers relied on her years of experience as a comedian and a network of fellow performers, some of whom she enticed to Colorado with promises of stage time and a spot on her couch. That grassroots spirit, combined with support from key venues like the Dairy Arts Center, helped the festival take off.
"When I first came to the Dairy, I was nervous because I was curating their monthly show, and my pitch to them was, 'Could we use that night one month for this idea I have?' and then I'd put together other nights at other venues," Rogers says. "It wasn't a big ask, so I thought they might be more likely to say yes, and they said, ‘Well, why don't you just do the whole weekend?’ And I was like, ‘I wasn't aware that was an option, but if it is, I would love it.’ They've just been terrific."
Over the years, the event has grown in both scope and audience. What began as a small, scrappy showcase of about twenty comics over four days in three venues has grown into a five-day event featuring well over thirty comedians across four venues. Submissions pour in from all over the country, and fans begin inquiring about ticket availability months in advance.
"We get emails in February like, ‘Hey, the tickets aren’t up yet!’” Rogers says. “I'm like, ‘Well, we take submissions through March,’ but it's nice to have those people. I'm always happy to get those emails."
Despite the growth, Rogers stays committed to her founding vision. She reviews submissions with a careful eye for balance, often supplementing the lineup with hand-picked performers from New York, Los Angeles and the local scene to ensure a wide range of voices are represented. And while plenty of funny straight white guys still apply and are often booked, Rogers makes sure they’re not the only perspective onstage.
"What Internet trolls and giant man-babies would say to you is, ‘Oh, well, why don't you just book who's funny?’ and I say, ‘These people are funny.’ I didn't say they're not funny. That's not what I said," Rogers says. "I just said I'm creating a space where all these voices can be heard, because people stop going to comedy because they don't feel represented, they're offended, and they don't want to co-sign on the awful stuff being said, and I agree; that's another reason I started this festival."
This year’s festival will include seven shows across four venues, with two brunch performances on Saturday and Sunday. The kickoff show on Wednesday, June 25 at Junkyard Social Club, a women-owned venue that Rogers praises as “terrific," has become a neighborhood favorite.
“I have so many people who show up to that show every year, and they're like, ‘I walked here,’ because they live in the neighborhood," Rogers says. "They say, 'It's so nice to be able to walk to something,' and it's wonderful to give the community something fun to do."
Each show features a different combination of performers, creating a unique experience night to night. “Some comics are doing two shows, some three, some just one,” Rogers says. “So if you come to multiple shows in different venues, you get different energy, different crowds. It’s a totally different vibe seeing someone at a 7 p.m. show versus a 2 p.m. brunch slot — one year a comic came to the afternoon show sunburned in their hiking shorts after hiking the Flatirons!"
The festival hasn’t been without its challenges. Rogers acknowledges that she’s faced criticism from detractors who see her focus on diversity as “too political” or “divisive.”
“I’ve had guys say things like, ‘Well, what if I called my show "All Straight White Men and One Woman," and I was like, ‘Well, that is your show, and that's why I'm doing this,' because you'll see these names, and maybe you'll reach out to them next time, and then you'll have more diversity in your shows," Rogers says. "But we need to stop highlighting one straight white male voice for eighty minutes of a ninety-minute show because that only having perspective is redundant and boring."
Last year even brought a security threat, though nothing materialized. "For the most part, complaints have just been from angry men online, but the festival itself has been so good," Rogers says. "People come out because I'm just putting funny people in front of them. That's my whole agenda: everybody gets heard, everybody feels seen and everybody laughs, because we could certainly use it right now."
Looking ahead, Rogers hopes to keep growing the festival’s reach geographically and culturally. While it's still called the Boulder Comedy Festival, the shows now span Lafayette and Louisville, and Rogers isn’t stopping there.
“I’ve had people say, ‘Well, it’s more like the Boulder County Festival now,’ and that's sort of true,” Rogers says. “But also, most people who live in Boulder don't really live in Boulder. That is sort of an elitist assumption because so many people commute in, so I’d like to grow to reflect the entire county. I'd also like working with venues that maybe haven't done comedy before or don't usually do comedy, because that's a really fun way to sort of like build a bridge with people who wouldn’t go to a comedy venue but might take a gamble at this space they trust."
“I got into comedy to connect with people, so it's nice to have people talk to you afterwards about how people's performance affected them," Rogers says. "People are so isolated, whether it's politically or economically or just the fact that a lot of people work virtually, and they feel separated. I've had so many people be like it was so nice and healing to sit in a room and laugh with a group of people, and moments like that make all the work that goes into the event worth it."
Boulder Comedy Festival, Wednesday, June 25, through Sunday, June 29, various venues around Boulder County. Learn more, get tickets and view the full schedule at bouldercomedyfestival.com.
Taking place Wednesday, June 25, to Sunday, June 29, this year’s Boulder Comedy Festival spans multiple venues across Boulder County, including the Dairy Arts Center, Junkyard Social Club, The End in Lafayette and the Louisville Underground. The lineup features 37 standup comics — some local, some national — with credits ranging from Netflix to Comedy Central.
But what truly sets this festival apart is its mission: to center women and underrepresented voices in comedy, offering a platform where everyone feels seen, heard and, most importantly, able to laugh freely.
"I've been doing comedy now for about thirteen years, and I created the Boulder Comedy Festival because there was a lack of diversity onstage," Rogers says. "It was so obvious, but no one was saying anything, or if they did, they were whispering in the back of the room."
Rogers realized she needed to start the festival while performing a Sunday night show in the urine-scented back room of a pub. Despite the lack of security and the presence of drunken football fans onstage, the set's lineup piqued her interest.
"I remember looking on stage and thinking it was a really good, diverse show," Rogers recalls. "This show has more diversity than any other show happening right now. Unfortunately, it's in the back of this bar, but wouldn't it be cool if this was happening more regularly?"
That simple but revolutionary thought became the foundation for the Boulder Comedy Festival. Rogers relied on her years of experience as a comedian and a network of fellow performers, some of whom she enticed to Colorado with promises of stage time and a spot on her couch. That grassroots spirit, combined with support from key venues like the Dairy Arts Center, helped the festival take off.
One of the performers onstage at a previous Boulder Comedy Festival.
Courtesy of Jeff Stonic
Over the years, the event has grown in both scope and audience. What began as a small, scrappy showcase of about twenty comics over four days in three venues has grown into a five-day event featuring well over thirty comedians across four venues. Submissions pour in from all over the country, and fans begin inquiring about ticket availability months in advance.
"We get emails in February like, ‘Hey, the tickets aren’t up yet!’” Rogers says. “I'm like, ‘Well, we take submissions through March,’ but it's nice to have those people. I'm always happy to get those emails."
Despite the growth, Rogers stays committed to her founding vision. She reviews submissions with a careful eye for balance, often supplementing the lineup with hand-picked performers from New York, Los Angeles and the local scene to ensure a wide range of voices are represented. And while plenty of funny straight white guys still apply and are often booked, Rogers makes sure they’re not the only perspective onstage.
"What Internet trolls and giant man-babies would say to you is, ‘Oh, well, why don't you just book who's funny?’ and I say, ‘These people are funny.’ I didn't say they're not funny. That's not what I said," Rogers says. "I just said I'm creating a space where all these voices can be heard, because people stop going to comedy because they don't feel represented, they're offended, and they don't want to co-sign on the awful stuff being said, and I agree; that's another reason I started this festival."
This year’s festival will include seven shows across four venues, with two brunch performances on Saturday and Sunday. The kickoff show on Wednesday, June 25 at Junkyard Social Club, a women-owned venue that Rogers praises as “terrific," has become a neighborhood favorite.
“I have so many people who show up to that show every year, and they're like, ‘I walked here,’ because they live in the neighborhood," Rogers says. "They say, 'It's so nice to be able to walk to something,' and it's wonderful to give the community something fun to do."
Each show features a different combination of performers, creating a unique experience night to night. “Some comics are doing two shows, some three, some just one,” Rogers says. “So if you come to multiple shows in different venues, you get different energy, different crowds. It’s a totally different vibe seeing someone at a 7 p.m. show versus a 2 p.m. brunch slot — one year a comic came to the afternoon show sunburned in their hiking shorts after hiking the Flatirons!"
The festival hasn’t been without its challenges. Rogers acknowledges that she’s faced criticism from detractors who see her focus on diversity as “too political” or “divisive.”
“I’ve had guys say things like, ‘Well, what if I called my show "All Straight White Men and One Woman," and I was like, ‘Well, that is your show, and that's why I'm doing this,' because you'll see these names, and maybe you'll reach out to them next time, and then you'll have more diversity in your shows," Rogers says. "But we need to stop highlighting one straight white male voice for eighty minutes of a ninety-minute show because that only having perspective is redundant and boring."
Last year even brought a security threat, though nothing materialized. "For the most part, complaints have just been from angry men online, but the festival itself has been so good," Rogers says. "People come out because I'm just putting funny people in front of them. That's my whole agenda: everybody gets heard, everybody feels seen and everybody laughs, because we could certainly use it right now."
Looking ahead, Rogers hopes to keep growing the festival’s reach geographically and culturally. While it's still called the Boulder Comedy Festival, the shows now span Lafayette and Louisville, and Rogers isn’t stopping there.
“I’ve had people say, ‘Well, it’s more like the Boulder County Festival now,’ and that's sort of true,” Rogers says. “But also, most people who live in Boulder don't really live in Boulder. That is sort of an elitist assumption because so many people commute in, so I’d like to grow to reflect the entire county. I'd also like working with venues that maybe haven't done comedy before or don't usually do comedy, because that's a really fun way to sort of like build a bridge with people who wouldn’t go to a comedy venue but might take a gamble at this space they trust."
For Rogers, growing the festival isn’t just about expanding venues — it’s about deepening its purpose. Even five years in, she still finds joy in the simple magic of comedians connecting with a room full of strangers.
“I got into comedy to connect with people, so it's nice to have people talk to you afterwards about how people's performance affected them," Rogers says. "People are so isolated, whether it's politically or economically or just the fact that a lot of people work virtually, and they feel separated. I've had so many people be like it was so nice and healing to sit in a room and laugh with a group of people, and moments like that make all the work that goes into the event worth it."
Boulder Comedy Festival, Wednesday, June 25, through Sunday, June 29, various venues around Boulder County. Learn more, get tickets and view the full schedule at bouldercomedyfestival.com.
