Ashland Sarcasm Festival full weekend of Comedy, Drag, Improv, and More!
Ashland Sarcasm Festival Returns for Second Year with Boldest
Lineup Yet — December 4–6, 2026
National touring headliners, a packed weekend of comedy, drag, improv, game shows,
and one-of-a-kind events descend on downtown Ashland, Oregon — the city that has
made sarcasm an art form. It’s back. And it brought reinforcements.
The Ashland Sarcasm Festival — the irreverent, wit-forward celebration that took Southern
Oregon by delightful surprise in its inaugural year — returns for its second edition December
4–6, 2026, spreading its signature brand of sharp humor and clever programming across
downtown Ashland. Bigger, bolder, and more unapologetically funny than ever, ASF! 2026
brings national touring headliners, beloved festival favorites, and an entirely new slate of events
to one of Oregon’s most charming and culturally vibrant cities.
Organized by Storytown Ashland — the nonprofit on a mission to make Ashland a destination
where something extraordinary is always happening — the festival is a three-day love letter to
the power of laughter, community, and a well-placed eye roll.
Comedy at the Bowmer Theatre
The festival opens on the iconic Bowmer Theatre stage with two headline nights of world-class
standup — curated for audiences who like their humor sharp, their wit dry, and their seats
comfortable.
Friday, December 4 — Fast Ronald & Aparna Nancherla
Local host Carl Lee kicks off the festival with a night that wastes absolutely no time getting good.
Featured comedian Fast Ronald — a Texas native with a culinary school background and years
grinding LA open mics — brings a deadpan, deeply personal style that rooms don’t forget. His
debut special Flex Your Head is streaming on YouTube; Friday night will be the live version.
Headlining Friday: Aparna Nancherla, one of the most distinctive comic voices working today.
With recurring roles on BoJack Horseman and Corporate, staff writing credits on Late Night
with Seth Meyers, and Variety’s Top 10 Comics to Watch & nod to her name, Nancherla brings
what the New York Times called quirky, relatable and punchy humor; to a stage that couldn’t
suit her better.
Saturday, December 5 — Eeland Stribling & Beth Stelling
Festival favorite host Jay Light returns from LA to usher in a Saturday night that may be
impossible to top. Featured comedian Eeland Stribling — former wildlife biologist, two-time
New Faces winner at Comedy Works, 2025 Don’t Tell Comedy competition winner, and recently
selected for Kevin Hart’s Netflix standup competition — has been called the Black Steve Irwin.
His hit series Comedians on the Fly takes comics out on the water to fish and laugh. Warm,
wildly funny, and an absolute don’t miss.
Closing Saturday: headliner Beth Stelling, whose credits include Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Netflix’s
The Standups, Judd Apatow’;s HBO series Crashing, and HBO Max special Girl Daddy. Stelling’s
comedy is confessional, sharp, and disarmingly honest — she earns the laugh and the feeling at
the same time.
A Full Weekend of Comedy, Drag, Improv & More
Beyond the Bowmer headliners, ASF! 2026 offers a sprawling, something-for-everyone program
across downtown Ashland venues. 2026 lineup includes:
TJ · Jay Light · Couplet · Fictional Roast · Wrong! A F*cked Up Game Show · Lindsay Adams · The
Hamazons · Evolution of a Kiss by Cindy Rojas · Drag Bingo · Bake Stuff With Lindsay · Carl Lee’s
Starting Lineup ft. Jen Jay, Jamie Colson & Trenton Davis · Southern Oregon Comic Highlights ·
Crowd Work Brunch · Drag Brunch
From an outrageous fictional roast to a drag brunch, from a crowd work masterclass to an
evening of evolving, intimate storytelling — the festival offers something to delight every
sensibility and challenge every comfort zone, all in the warm, walkable embrace of downtown
Ashland. Local restaurants, bars, clubs, and gathering spaces become unique comedy venues.
From Brickroom, Liquid Lounge, Bar Juilett, and Skout Taphouse, to the White Rabbit Creator
Café and Local 31 Pub. There is a venue with a comedy show that is perfect for everyone.
Full schedule, tickets, and venue information available at SarcasmFest.com