What began as a dream by comedian and festival founder Adam Cayton-Holland has grown into Denver's largest and longest-running standup comedy extravaganza. More than 100 of the funniest comedians from across the globe will converge for three days of side-splitting humor, making this milestone event an unforgettable experience.
Cayton-Holland recalls that he got the idea for High Plains while touring the country as a standup comic and performing at Bridgetown, a comedy festival in Portland, Oregon. He describes the experience as being "like a summer camp for comedians. There'd be big names at Bridgetown, but they also had a really good eye for up-and-comers around the country. It was just bringing the coolest comedy party to Portland, and after attending, I knew Denver needed that. And so I came home with a fire under my ass to start it. The goal was to showcase how funny Denver is and put the national spotlight on the Denver comedy scene once a year through this festival."
The festival has changed and grown over time, and its reputation has skyrocketed. Now, agents and managers contact High Plains organizers to get their clients in the multi-day showcase. "It's an indie festival, so when it started, I'd reach out to my friends and wouldn't go through the industry and all that stuff," Cayton-Holland recalls. "Over the years, it's just kind of gotten more elaborate. The beginning was just a few comedy shows that I got all my famous friends to do, and now it's just way more orchestrated. People approach me and say things like, 'Hey, can I tell you about my clients?' and 'Can I get this person included in the festival?' Things like that have really helped us evolve into what we are today."
The three-day event also now features various venues, live podcast tapings and open-mic events. Notably, the festival partnered with Comedy Works Entertainment for marquee shows at the Paramount Theatre, a signal of its growing prominence. "I'm friends with everybody over at Comedy Works," says Cayton-Holland. "That's my home club, so it was a very cool gesture that they wanted to work on this with us, and that showed me that this thing was growing."
Adam Cayton-Holland, the creator of High Plains Comedy Festival.
Courtesy of Adam Cayton-Holland
"I used to live right on South Broadway and go to all these places, so I really wanted to honor the area with the festival," Cayton-Holland explains. "It's all on South Broadway, with this big satellite show at the Paramount. We're always trying to do new things, but South Broadway is definitely the heart of it."
The process of selecting comedians for the festival is ongoing and begins almost immediately after each festival ends. Cayton-Holland and executive producer Karen Wachtel are constantly on the lookout for fresh talent as they travel around the country doing comedy, ensuring that the festival offers a diverse and entertaining lineup.
"We're always keeping our eyes out for people, and slowly, around January of the new year, I'll start messaging people to try to anchor the festival with big comedians," Cayton-Holland says. "But I very much say this is me wildly underpaying my friends to come to have a great party and hang out in Denver. And it seems to work; everybody wants to come."
While big names grace the stages, the festival also focuses on showcasing emerging voices. This year's lineup includes headliner Matteo Lane, whom Cayton-Holland is particularly excited to see. "I really love our entire lineup this year, but Matteo Lane, who's doing the Paramount shows, is such a force," he says. "He's just a beast of a performer, so that's going to be killer. There's also this podcast, All Fantasy Everything, with Ian Karmel, Sean Jordan and David Gborie, who are my dear friends and have been doing the festival for the past five or six years. Last year Ian was getting married, so they couldn't do the live podcast, and it didn't feel right not having that podcast at the festival last year, so it's great to have them back. Vanessa Gonzalez, who goes out with Chelsea Handler everywhere and is kind of blowing up, is another one I'm excited to see. I'm also excited that Dave Hill is coming back. Dave's just kind of this indie comedy legend who shreds on guitar and tells the funniest jokes; it's cool, funny and weird."
The High Plains Comedy Festival's remarkable ten-year journey is a testament to Denver's thriving comedy scene and Cayton-Holland's vision for showcasing comedic talent. As the festival reaches this important milestone, the festival team is proud to have created an institution that fosters happiness, humor and a sense of community in the heart of Denver.
"I just ran into a guy recently who was telling me how much he and his wife look forward to the High Plains Comedy Festival each year," Cayton-Holland says. "This guy said, 'We do this every year; get a sitter, rent an Airbnb and just enjoy the comedy.' I sometimes forget that after ten years, this has become a tradition for people, which is very touching. Last year, Sean Patton, a comic and buddy of mine, told me, 'This is the best indie comedy festival in the United States,' and I feel very proud of that. So come on out to the best indie comedy festival in the United States."
High Plains Comedy Festival, Thursday, September 21, through Saturday, September 23, at various venues on South Broadway. Tickets are available at highplainscomedyfestival.com.
