Stand-Up Is Taking Over Rapid City

More than 25 comedians will take over stages across Rapid City this week, with nine shows scheduled at West River Comedy Club, the Hotel Alex Johnson, Uplifted Winery, and Robbinsdale Lounge.

What began as a local comedy festival has settled into a rhythm. Touring comics fly or drive into western South Dakota, local comedians join the lineup, and for one long weekend the Black Hills gets a concentrated dose of stand-up without anyone needing to leave town.

This year’s festival runs June 24-27 and features performers from across the country alongside several familiar faces from the regional comedy scene.

Opening night begins Wednesday at West River Comedy Club with local comedians and The Unrehearsables. Thursday’s show moves to the Hotel Alex Johnson, where comedian Zac Maas headlines an evening with festival guests. But by Friday, the schedule spreads across the city.

An early show at West River Comedy Club features Matt Cobos, Brett Hiker, Sam Miller, Hannah Popkin, AJ Grill, George Delgado, Gabby Gutierrez-Reed, and Trevor Ryan. Across town at Uplifted Winery, Christie Buchele, BK Sharad, Kelsey Rosen, Tyler Corbine, Tyler Mathieson, and Zac Maas take the stage before the evening shifts to the Alex Johnson for the festival’s main showcase.

Friday wraps up the same way many comedy festivals do: everybody ends up back at the club. The 10:30 p.m. late show at West River Comedy Club brings the entire festival roster together for one lineup.

Saturday follows a similar path with shows running simultaneously across venues before another late-night all-comics performance closes the evening.

Festival headliner Sam Miller makes his Black Hills Comedy Festival appearance during Saturday’s main show at the Hotel Alex Johnson. Miller, a Washington-based comedian known for his appearances on national podcasts and comedy festivals around the country, joins a lineup that includes Matt Cobos, Kelsey Rosen, BK Sharad, Hannah Popkin, Gabby Gutierrez-Reed, and Tyler Corbine.

One of the things that makes the festival work is that no two shows are the same. A crowd at Uplifted Winery will see a completely different lineup than the audience gathered inside the Alex Johnson Ballroom. Someone attending only Friday night will have a different experience than someone who bounces between venues all weekend.