The 4th annual All Jane comedy festival kicks off October 14th in Portland

Within seconds of walking into last year’s All Jane Comedy Festival, I blew the crotch out of my pants. That’s not a euphemism. Sure, maybe I’m just another skinny-pant-clad millennial who suffered a #hipsterproblem or, it’s possible that I did one too many squats while watching Beyonce videos at the gym. But, more likely, in kicking down doors and surmounting the boundaries often found within the comedy scene, All Jane not only blows ones mind AND tickles their funny bone, it also makes it impossible to keep any of your wits about you. Basically, what I’m saying is that All Jane Comedy Festival is blow the crotch out of your pants fantastic.

With a shortened name from previous years, All Jane has opened their loving and accepting arms to a wealth of amazing talent. So much so that it might be in your best interest to slip into something more comfortable for the duration of this post.

The five-day event, held in the ever-growing comedy hub Portland, Oregon, is known for curating some of the best up-and-coming and nationally headlining female comedic performers from throughout the United States and Canada. This year is no exception. Headliners include Broad City writer Naomi Ekperigin, former Ellen DeGeneres head writer turned hilarious singer/songwriter Karen Kilgariff, and one half of Push It Productions, the team that brought back Last Comic Standing and thus stand-up comedy back to TV, Page Hurowitz. HOW CAN BE SO AWESOME, you might ask yourself. Hold on to your shorts, it gets better.

Not only is All Jane hosting an eclectic group of headliners, they’ve also invited acclaimed performers from around the U.S.

Sonia Denis, a Chicago-based comedian, co-produces Congrats on Your Success, a monthly stand-up showcase that has been featured on WBEZ/NPR and The Chicago Tribune. Caitlin Gill was featured as one of the “7 Comics Rocking the Local Scene” in 7×7 Magazine, and was voted Best Comedian in the East Bay Express “Best Of” Edition. Rye Silverman’s debut album Intimate Apparel was the #1 best selling comedy album on Amazon.com in April 2015, and former LCS semi-finalist Zainab Johnson performed in the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival as one of the 2014 New Faces of Comedy.

They’ll be sharing the stage with a number of Pacific Northwest powerhouses, most notably, Amy Miller of the most recent season of LCS, the beautifully irreverent Kristine Levine of Portlandia, and All Jane founder and Curious Comedy/All Jane Comedy Fest Artistic Director Stacey Hallal.

The fourth annual All Jane Comedy Festival will be held October 14–18 with a dozen shows, over 40 performers, and affordable five-day passes. Slap on something with a drawstring waist because this year’s fest promises to be the best of what’s now and next in comedy.

Five-day festival passes ($60) and tickets to individual shows ($5–25) are on sale at alljanecomedy.org.