The Halifax Comedy Festival (often spelled in promotional materials as Ha!ifax Comedy Festival) is an annual comedy festival held in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. The festival is sponsored by the CBC which tapes and broadcasts the comedians' sets as a series of television specials, and is usually about one week long. Shows frequently take place at the Halifax Casino

Casino Nova Scotia

Casino Nova Scotia is located in Nova Scotia, Canada, and has locations in Halifax and Sydney.-Halifax casino:The Casino Nova Scotia opened a temporary location in the Sheraton Hotel Halifax on June 1, 1995. On April 24, 2000 it moved to a brand new, $100-million "Vegas-style" facility on the...

 in The Schooner Showroom among other venues.

Live tapings of CBC Radio

CBC Radio

CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...

's hit show The Debaters

The Debaters

The Debaters is a Canadian radio comedy show hosted by Steve Patterson. It airs on CBC Radio One Saturdays at 1:00PM and Wednesdays at 11:30AM ....

 have become a part of the annual festival, frequently using comedians who are performing in the festival as the 'debaters'.

For more information go to www.halifaxcomedyfest.ca

Past performers include

• Mark Critch
  Mark Critch
  Mark Critch is a Canadian comedian; he was born in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.He was a writer for This Hour Has 22 Minutes and is now a star after two appearances in the 10th Season and recurring in Seasons 11 and 12...
  
   (frequently hosts)
• Irwin Barker
  Irwin Barker
  Irwin Barker was a Canadian comedian and writer. He wrote for This Hour Has 22 Minutes and The Rick Mercer Report, and was nominated for four Gemini Awards as a writer and one as stand-up performer for his 2005 performance at the Halifax comedy Festival...
  
  
• Cathy Jones
• Derek Edwards
  Derek Edwards
  Derek Edwards is a Canadian stand-up comedian and actor from Timmins, Ontario. He went to Timmins High and Vocational School.In 1995, he was the winner of the Vail National Comedy Invitational in Vail, Colorado. He is the only Canadian to date to have won this award. He won the 2004 Canadian...
  
  
• Ryan Belleville
  Ryan Belleville
  Ryan Belleville is a Canadian stand-up comedian and actor. He was born in Calgary, Alberta and moved to Toronto where he studied at the Humber School of Comedy, winning the Phil Hartman Award when he graduated. He was the youngest person to tape his own Comedy Now! special for CTV and also appeared...
  
  
• Ron Sparks
• Kevin Pollak
  Kevin Pollak
  Kevin Elliot Pollak is an American actor, impressionist, game show host, and comedian. He started performing stand-up comedy at the age of 10 and touring professionally at the age of 20...
  
  
• Stewart Francis
  Stewart Francis
  Stewart Francis is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor and writer. In addition to his work in Canada and the USA, he frequently tours in the UK and appears on British television...
  
  
• Winston Spear
  Winston Spear
  Winston Spear is a Canadian stand-up comedian and actor from Toronto, Ontario. He is the winner of the 2003 Canadian Comedy Award for Best Male Stand-up and is a member of the cast of the popular CTV sketch comedy show Comedy Inc.. He has been called "King Of Obscure".* Winston is known for...
  
  
• Pete Zedlacher
  Pete Zedlacher
  Pete Zedlacher is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor and television writer. He has appeared at Just For Laughs and the Halifax Comedy Festival, and won the 2006 Canadian Comedy Award for Best Male Stand-up...
  
  
• Glen Foster
• Tim Nutt
• Barry Julien
• Kevin Foxx
  Kevin Foxx
  Kevin Foxx is a Canadian comedian and radio host. He is best known as the host of the radio program The Kevin Foxx Show on CFRB in Toronto....
  
  
• Tim Steeves
  Tim Steeves
  Tim Steeves is an award-winning Canadian stand-up comedian and writer. He has written for This Hour Has 22 Minutes, The Rick Mercer Report and helped create the Canadian TV comedy special Talking to Americans....
  
  
• Doug Funk
• Gilson Lubin
  Gilson Lubin
  Gilson Lubin is a stand-up comedian originally from St.Lucia. Raised most his life in Canada, Gilson spent the past couple of years on the CTV programme MTV Live as one of its original seven hosts...