In need of a good laugh? Seems like most of are.
According to Pollstar, which tracks concerts and live events, ticket sales for stand-up comedy have nearly tripled since 2012. And since the pandemic, the need to gather and giggle has grown to the tune of nearly $1 billion annually.
It’s becoming easier to find funny people in the Fredericksburg region. There’s been a noticeable increase in the number of comedy-specific events locally, including showcases, improv productions and open mics. From breweries to wine shops, comedians are finding more opportunities to step up to the mic.
Is Fredericksburg a funny town, now? It’s been home to at least two comedy clubs in the last decade. Liberty Laughs, a one-time club above a bowling alley on Southpoint Centre Boulevard’s now a storage facility and a U-Haul rental service. The Fredericksburg Comedy Zone, located in Central Station, once operated on Princess Anne Street but closed during the pandemic.
To find a show near you, follow FXBG Comedy Scene on social media. Some of the shows I came across include: comedy night at City Vino; Mr. K comedy at Themes in Spotsylvania; Stage Door Productions at Allstate Theater; and try comedy-specific open mic nights at Curitiba Art Cafe and Cosmic Comic Open Mic Night at the Creative Life Center.
Actor-turned-comedian Rahmein Mostafavi helped put Fredericksburg on the map as a comedy town between DC and Richmond nearly a decade ago when he began producing comedy shows at the Courtyard Marriott downtown. Now, he’s a headliner in shows across the country, a frequent guest at DC Improv and produces a show called Couples Therapy. But he remembers Fredericksburg fondly and said he’s glad to see it taking off again.
“The crowds in Fredericksburg are awesome,” Mostafavi says. “Even when I go back and perform a lot of people who saw me back then will come out to see me again.”
Stand-up comedy is not for the faint of heart, says Chris Porter, a project manager at Atlantic Builders who decided to give it a try two years ago. Audiences can be brutal if the jokes fall flat. It helps to bring your own cheering section with you.
Comedian Heather Joyce. (Photo by Christian Balmer)
“I really enjoyed it,” says Porter, who moved to the area from Northern Virginia with his wife, Kat, eight years ago. “I was a huge fan of comedy, but I never knew how you got started doing it…like do you just start doing it with somebody you know who does it? Like an apprentice to a plumber? But then I found open mics.”
He started attending open mic nights at Billikens Smokehouse in its upstairs space The Chimney Top, hosted by local comedian Heather Joyce.
“I checked it out and had my little five minute-set written and decided I was going to give it a shot. It went fairly well, which is not unlike most people’s experience, because I also had like 10 of my co-workers there rooting me on,” Porter says.
Now Chris and Kat Porter produce Comedy in the Back Room. Their monthly show, held in a space behind Castiglia’s restaurant in downtown Fredericksburg, now rebranded as The Griffin on Charles, grew from an “inherited” open mic night at Highmark Brewery into a monthly curated event featuring three rotating comedians which Porter regularly hosts.
Comedy in the Back Room is approaching its first anniversary in August and the Porters say they are surprised at its success but satisfied with keeping it small.
“I had always kind of been like, I don’t want to be a producer. It’s still the way I feel today, which is funny enough. The show’s had a lot of success, but it still doesn’t make me want to copy that and scale it and make it a big thing,” said Porter.
Comedy in the Back Room is hosted by Chris Porter (far left) and his wife Kat (center) helps produce the show.
The shows are consistently close to selling out each month—over 100 tickets to an audience that ranges in age from 20s to 60s and often includes repeat attendees.
Heather Joyce, who admits her comic style is “nerdy humor”, has been performing for over six years. She began doing stand-up as an outlet while working as middle school teacher, initially traveling to Richmond on weekends since there were no local venues.
She currently hosts and produces two distinct comedy shows in Fredericksburg. FXBG Funnies is a traditional stand-up showcase with a featured performer, headliner and a special guest, at the Allstate Community Theater on Caroline Street.
Possum Punchlines is her other show, held at Possum-bilities on William Street in downtown Fredericksburg. Joyce says the show has a more alternative vibe that combines stand-up performances with improv games. “I try to get quirky, sillier types of comics for the Possum show.”
“I don’t necessarily tailor the shows for a specific type of comedy,” she says. “I just kind of try to get a little sampler. So that everybody can have a nice time, you know, no matter what they’re into.”
Location, location, location
The Porters say they feel lucky to have happened upon their space behind Castiglia’s and praised the Riphean Group for making their comedy nights happen.
“I’ve always said it, [Fredericksburg] needs a comedy club venue or at least some sort of theater of some sort,” said Chris Porter. “People will show up for comedy. There’s an absolute desire for it.”
Mostafavi said that his show was created because there was nothing else at the time, without driving to DC or Richmond. In 2025, that’s no longer the case, with comedy shows in Fredericksburg held multiple times a month in multiple locations.
While not every comedian gets their own Netflix special, it’s clear that funny people will fill seats.
“People want to laugh right now,” adds Kat Porter. “The world’s hard.”
Performers at a Possum Punchlines show in downtown Fredericksburg.
