For those looking for an entertaining, engaging night out featuring entertainment from talented performers both locally and nationally known, look no further than Jacksonville’s diverse comedy scene. We’ve picked out five high quality events, from improv to standup and from the silver screen to the stage, that will make your August much funnier.

The Main Event, Saturday and Sundays at First Coast Comedy

Jacksonville improv collective First Coast Comedy offers a handful of recurring comedy shows around town each week, including a trio of shows at their home base in Atlantic Beach. Their anchor show is The Main Event, a fast paced, family-friendly improv comedy show featuring a rotating roster of some of Jacksonville’s finest improvisers. The cast is quick on their feet and game for just about anything, going for broke on stage while riffing on audience suggestions to create wildly funny scenes out of thin air.

Darrell Hammond, Thursday, August 4 to Saturday, August 6 at The Comedy Zone

Longtime cast member and current announcer on Saturday Night Live, Darrell Hammond is one of the living legends of American comedy. His skills as an impressionist made for an unmatched run on SNL from 1995 to 2009, before taking over announcer duties in 2014. His standup act is a showcase for his impressive impersonation skills, peppered across a series of compelling stories from his remarkable career and tumultuous personal life.

LOL JAX Film Festival, Saturday August 6 and Sunday, August 7 at the WJCT Soundstage

Local comedy film festival LOL JAX celebrates its 6th year with a new venue and an all-new lineup of homegrown films, plus standup comedy, filmmaker Q&As, and local music. Jacksonville comedian Jenn Weeks will host both screenings, where you can enjoy plenty of treats from local food and beverage purveyors like Wildcrafters, The Family Nut Hut, and Manifest Distilling. Be sure to stick around Saturday night for afterparty featuring music from the magnetic hip hop artist Jeremy Ryan.

Bill Bellamy, Thursday August 18 to Sunday, August 21 at The Comedy Zone

Over Bill Bellamy’s long, storied career, he’s been many things: an MTV VJ, an actor, a voiceover artist, and, most notably, a wildly popular standup comic, who’s been headlining clubs since breaking out on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam in the 1990s. Since then, he’s appeared on countless TV shows, from Last Comic Standing to Chelsea Lately to Insecure, all while keeping up a relentless touring schedule. Onstage, Bellamy’s a total pro, a crowd pleaser that knows how to keep a room engaged and present in the moment, balancing prepared material with dexterous crowd work. 

Happy Days: The Musical, Friday, August 26 to Sunday, August 28 at the Players by the Sea Theater

Originally staged in 2007, the Players by the Sea community theatre troupe are debuting an all-new production of Happy Days, a musical inspired by the classic sitcom. With a book written by the show’s creator, Garry Marshall, and songs by living legend Paul Williams, who’s written iconic songs like Kermit the Frog’s “Rainbow Connection” and Three Dog Night’s “Old Fashioned Love Song,” the musical’s pedigree is undeniable. Catch a brand new, nostalgia-inducing story at Arnold’s malt shop featuring a cast of memorable characters like Fonzie, Richie, Chachi, and Pinky Tuscadero played by some of Jacksonville’s finest musical theater actors.