3 NIGHTS. 15+ SHOWS. 100+ Comics. Downtown Paris,TX. January 22-24, 2026
All about it.....
The Tower City Comedy Festival....
brings in over 100 comics, podcasters and more to downtown Paris Texas to perform over three days. They participate in panels, clinics and other industry growing seminars.
Starting in 2019, Tower City Comedy has become one of the premier festival for working comics in Texas and the South.
Performers come from...
All over the country and even the world. Comics find really useable networking connections and education to further their careers.
Treated Like Royalty. Kind of....
- All selected comics have access to:
- Hospitality Suite with free meals and drinks.
- Fest Bags with "goodies"
- Discounted hotel rooms
- Access to Panels, Clinics, and podcasts.
- This year we have parties and even a kick ass Texas BBQ!
2026 SHOWS
MATTHEW BROUSSARD
MATTHEW BROUSSARD
MATTHEW BROUSSARD
Born in New Jersey, raised in Atlanta, and the 2012 winner of Houston's Funniest Person, Matthew Broussard is not exactly sure where he's from. Matthew earned a degree in Applied Mathematics and had a job as a financial analyst before moving to West Hollywood to pursue stand-up comedy full time. His brand of playful, witty humor covers topics from physics and grammar to the hardships of looking like an 80s movie villain. Aside from his popular webcomic, mondaypunday.com, he can be seen on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,The League, The Mindy Project, Conan, Roast Battle, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, the film Here Today with Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish,and has his own Half Hour Special on Comedy Central. But his Cajun father and Jewish mother still really want him to take the GMAT.
CARMEN LYNCH
MATTHEW BROUSSARD
MATTHEW BROUSSARD
Carmen Lynch has two new comedy specials: one in English titled Queef Week on Mark Normand’s YouTube channel, and one in Spanish called Carmen Lynch en Español streaming May 28th on her own YouTube channel. Carmen also has a multitude of late night TV appearances including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Late Show with David Letterman, Conan and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Carmen has also appeared on Inside Amy Schumer, That Damn Michael Che, Life & Beth and the documentary Hysterical (produced by Jessica Kirson.) Carmen can be found on all social media @carmencomedian.
JEREMIAH WATKINS
MATTHEW BROUSSARD
Sundae in Paris Hysterical Tour
Jeremiah Watkins is heralded as the comedian for making Judd Apatow fall in love with comedy again, and that’s a direct quote from Judd himself! His debut 1 hour standup special Jeremiah Watkins: Family Reunion is streaming now on Amazon Prime and his second hour special DADDY is streaming now on Youtube. You can hear him as the voice of the iconic role of The Joker on DC Superhero Girls and you can see him weekly as the co-host of the Trailer Tales Podcast. His hit series Stand-Up On The Spot continues to receive viral attention as well as his numerous sketches online that he also directs and writes. Other credits include Carpool Karaoke, Roast Battle, Lights Out with David Spade, Netflix’s Historical Roasts, Jimmy Kimmel Live, HBO’s Crashing, Nickelodeon’s The Casagrandes, Dr. Phil LIVE & more! Jeremiah’s off-the-cuff and physical standup style guarantee you a memorable show experience like you’ve never seen before!
Sundae in Paris Hysterical Tour
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Sundae in Paris Hysterical Tour
Such a fun and new show! Comics take turns leading tour groups to actual points of hisrorical interests, that they make up their version on their own. Sponsored by Sundae in Paris!
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Imagine performing at midnight by candlelight in a 100 year old basement, while a Paranormal Speciallist takes EPV readings during your set. Well that's the kind of wacked out #$%* we come up with!
GEORGE ASSILY Roast Battle
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
A tradition at TCCF, is the Annual Roast Battle, where the victor gets the following year's event named after them and are invited back to host it.
OFF THE CUFF
OFF THE CUFF
OFF THE CUFF
A group of comics perform stand up they have no idea what the topics are until given to them on the spot. Watch some of the quickest names in comedy turn a laugh or a complete bomb. Either way it's a great time!
2025 SHOWS
RON JOSOL
LINDA STOGNER
WILLIE MACC
Ron Josol, is a Canadian-Filipino comedian who is well received from every corner of the world. Ron stirs up and samples the multi-cultural melting pot that mirrors life in most urban centers today. He presents hilarious scenarios and comments on our global society inherent contradictions by combining a one-liner and a story telling style. He regularly performs globally over 50 countries for over 25 years Just for laughs alumni Show time special Arabia tv special 2003 and 2004 Show time tv special 2010 Gabriel Iglesias n friends tv gala 2012 Jo koy n friend axs tv 2013 Jim gaffigan tv gala 2014 Nathan lane tv gala. 2016 Kevin harts LOL network 2016 Lucille ball comedy festival 2023 Recently, Ron’s dry bar comedy special clip went viral. From 3k to 120k Instagram followers had grown just in a few months. 5 million views on fb, 6 million views on ig, 4 million views on tiktok, 2 million on YouTube
WILLIE MACC
LINDA STOGNER
WILLIE MACC
Willie Macc, a breakout from the hit BET show 'College Hill: Virgin Island,' has transitioned seamlessly from reality TV stardom to an accomplished Hollywood actor and comedian. With over 100 million views on his stand-up and comedy videos across various social media platforms, Willie's humor resonates globally. He's graced screens in over 50 national commercials for brands like Kia, Verizon, Credit Karma, Progressive, Snapple, and more.
Beyond commercials, Willie Macc has made notable appearances on shows like CSI, Hulu's 'Casual,' ABC's 'The Goldbergs,' and starred in 'Meet the Spartans' alongside Kevin Sorbo, Carmen Electra, and Tiffany Haddish and this year on National Lampoon TV streaming service. He's taken his comedic talent worldwide, entertaining the US Military abroad and headlining stand-up shows internationally in Japan and South Korea.
As a Dont Tell Comedy Favorite Willie Macc's stand-up has garnered immense attention, featuring on TruTV's LaffMobb LaffTracks, Revolt TV Funny AF, and is Best of Fest 2024 at the San Luis Obispo Comedy festival. Alongside his thriving comedy career, catch Willie Macc and co-host Danny Plom on their podcast 'Afronoodles,' available on TikTok and Instagram.
You can Catch Willie Macc frequently performing in Hollywood at Laugh Factory, Improv and Comedy Store.
LINDA STOGNER
LINDA STOGNER
Sundae in Paris Hysterical Tour
“Her mind is cracked - very funny!”
– Joan Rivers
Emmy-award winner, Linda Stogner, is a true original with a unique comedy style. Her zany imagination, storytelling skills and unusual point of view have earned her many comedy honors including her own Dry Bar Comedy Special, “Linda Stogner; Welcome to My Planet,”Funniest Comic in Texas, Funniest Female Comedian in the Heartland and Finalist in the The Funniest Woman in America Contest. The comedian/filmmaker has appeared in the Emmy Award winning PBS/ABC television series, “Life 360.” She has also appeared in American Network’s LOL Comedy Special and The Joan Rivers Comedy Special.
She has performed at comedy festivals and competitions around the country including the prestigious HBO’s Women in Comedy Festival and Laughing Skull Comedy Festival. She was a semi-finalist in both the Seattle International Comedy Competition and the Boston Comedy Festival and a finalist in the Las Vegas Comedy Festival. Linda has worked with Dave Chappelle, Arsenio Hall, Kathleen Madigan, Brian Regan, Ryan Hamilton, Elayne Boosler, Bruce Bruce, Bill Maher, Janeane Garofalo, Jon Reep and Joan Rivers.
Sundae in Paris Hysterical Tour
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Sundae in Paris Hysterical Tour
Such a fun and new show! Comics take turns leading tour groups to actual points of hisrorical interests, that they make up their version on their own. Sponsored by Sundae in Paris!
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Imagine performing at midnight by candlelight in a 100 year old basement, while a Paranormal Speciallist takes EPV readings during your set. Well that's the kind of wacked out #$%* we come up with!
GEORGE ASSILY Roast Battle
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
A tradition at TCCF, is the Annual Roast Battle, where the victor gets the following year's event named after them and are invited back to host it.
OFF THE CUFF
OFF THE CUFF
OFF THE CUFF
A group of comics perform stand up they have no idea what the topics are until given to them on the spot. Watch some of the quickest names in comedy turn a laugh or a complete bomb. Either way it's a great time!
2024 SHOWS
HEADLINER
HEADLINER
HEADLINER
Laurie Kilmartin is stand up comedian and an Emmy-nominated, WGA award-winning comedy writer. She was a staff writer for all 11 years of CONAN on TBS, and has performed standup on CONAN, Late Late Show w/James Corden, and Comedy Central. She was a Top 10 finalist on season 9 of NBC's Last Comic Standing, and has been a guest on Marc Maron's WTF 3 times. Her first book, Shitty Mom, was a NY Times bestseller. Her special 45 Jokes About My Dead Dad, was named Vulture 's Top Ten Comedy Specials of 2016. She appeared on Episode 1 of Hillary Clinton’s 2022 Apple TV series Gutsy. Her 3rd album Corset was released in Oct of 2021- buy or stream Corset.
HEADLINER
HEADLINER
HEADLINER
FRANCISCO RAMOS IS A VENEZUELAN-AMERICAN STAND-UP COMEDIAN WHO WAS PART OF THE FIRST EVER NETFLIX IS A JOKE FESTIVAL HELD IN LOS ANGELES. HE CAN BE SEEN CURRENTLY ON THE NETFLIX HIT SHOW “GENTEFIED”. HE DIRECTED, CO-WROTE AND STARRED IN HIS DEBUT COMEDY SHORT “ZOO ANIMALS”, WHICH WAS ACQUIRED BY HBO MAX TO STREAM ON THEIR PLATFORM. HE ALSO SHOT A STANDUP SPECIAL “ENTRE NOS” FOR HBO. HE WAS A TOP-TEN FINALIST ON LAST COMIC STANDING AND HAS APPEARED IN SHOWTIME’S SHAMELESS,” AND VOICING THE ROLE OF MARMOSET IN THE ANIMATED FILM “RIO” AND PART OF CARTOON NETWORK SHOW “VICTOR AND VALENTINO.”
FRANCISCO WAS CHOSEN TO BE PART OF LORNE MICHAEL’S “MAS MEJOR” WHICH HAS BECOME A PREMIUM COMEDY CONTENT STUDIO POWERED BY LATINO VOICES. BUILDING ON THAT FOUNDATION HE DIRECTED & CO-WROTE ZOO ANIMALS WHICH WAS LICENSED BY HBO, WHICH CAN BE SEEN CURRENTLY ON HBO MAX. ZOO ANIMALS WAS ALSO ACCEPTED TO OVER A DOZEN FESTIVALS, INCLUDING JUST FOR LAUGHS.
EARLY IN HIS CAREER, FRANCISCO WAS SELECTED TO PERFORM IN THE CBS MULTICULTURAL DIVERSITY SHOWCASE, WHERE HE WAS ONE OF 12 SELECTED FROM A POOL OF 5,000 APPLICANTS. HAVING WON FIRST PLACE IN THE LUCILLE BALL COMEDY FESTIVAL SPONSORED BY NBC/COZI TV, AMERICAN LATINO PRODUCED A DOCUMENTARY ON FRANCISCO ABOUT HIS RISE AS A COMIC FOR LATINO OUT LOUD (LOL).
HEADLINER
HEADLINER
Sundae in Paris Hysterical Tour
Derrick Keener is a comedy purist who identifies comedy and gives forth funny in
every dimension. A physical comic with the enhanced talents of song, mimic and
impersonations, Derrick is organically gifted and has been thrown amongst the ranks
of the greats. He gets in where he fits it because there is no amount of preparation
needed for him to fill in the cracks where seasoned comedians used to be. He’s fresh
and new with the skills of a comedian whose done it all of their lives. His delivery is
relatable to mass appeal audiences and he adjusts himself seamlessly in any room.
Described as the new version of old school comedy, Derrick is gaining momentum
amongst talent bookers and promoters all over the U.S. From his great story telling
to his spot-on timing, his funny has a rhythm that audiences find naturally
embraceable. It's easy to see why this Arkansas native has Hollywood written all over
him. His versatility makes him a hit anywhere. Whether it's on tour with David and
Tamela Mann (Tyler Perry's, Meet the Browns), being the official host of The Louisiana
Black Heritage Festival, or featuring for famed Comedian Earthquake, this young
man is guaranteed to deliver.Currently tapped by BMG, Inc. as their new go-to- guy
for all things newly emerging, Derrick Keener has presently landed a spot with the
coveted Celebration of Praise Tour with the beloved Fred Hammond. His comedic
brand was a shoe in for the cohesive glue the bound the run of show beautifully.
Derrick is the son of a preacher who got his start in comedy on the campus of Prairie
View A&M University where he majored in theatre. His theatre coach told him to
consider stand-up comedy and then he provided Keener with a platform; and
Derrick hasn't looked back since.
From stage plays the likes of Marriage Material and Love Overboard or comedy
specials like Comics Edge or Uncontrolled Comedy, Derrick has been on a tear any
time he touched the mic. One promoter put it like this "Derrick Keener is a star. I'm
just waiting on the rest of the world to see it’…and it’s possible the rest of the
world will see it as he approaches the eve of one of America’s most sought after
Sundae in Paris Hysterical Tour
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Sundae in Paris Hysterical Tour
Such a fun and new show! Comics take turns leading tour groups to actual points of hisrorical interests, that they make up their version on their own. Sponsored by Sundae in Paris!
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Imagine performing at midnight by candlelight in a 100 year old basement, while a Paranormal Speciallist takes EPV readings during your set. Well that's the kind of wacked out #$%* we come up with!
Patrick Sisk Roast Battle
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
A tradition at TCCF, is the Annual Roast Battle, where the victor gets the following year's event named after them and are invited back to host it.
OFF THE CUFF
OFF THE CUFF
OFF THE CUFF
A group of comics perform stand up they have no idea what the topics are until given to them on the spot. Watch some of the quickest names in comedy turn a laugh or a complete bomb. Either way it's a great time!
2023 Alumni
Todd Glass
Paul Varghese
JIMMY PARDO
Tosh.O, Comedy Central, Netflix and host of the Todd Glass Show! A national treasure, who's fits of anger on stage make forsome of the best comedy.
JIMMY PARDO
Paul Varghese
JIMMY PARDO
A seasoned veteran of comedy clubs and late night television, Jimmy Pardo has appeared on such shows as The Tonight Show, Conan, The Late Late Show and his own half hour special on Comedy Central. Most recently he was the host of the critically acclaimed Science Channel show Race To Escape. Jimmy regularly appears on TBS’ Conan as a panel guest, but he has also been Conan’s go-to warm-up, field correspondent, sketch player and even fill-in cohost. He has also conducted some very unconventional celebrity backstage interviews for Teamcoco.com‘s “The Pardo Patrol.”
In 2006, Jimmy Pardo became a podcasting pioneer when he began hosting the raucous-but-smart weekly podcast Never Not Funny, which Entertainment Weekly called “one of the sharpest and gut-bustingest shows on the Internet.” The show has been named a top comedy podcast by The AV Club, Esquire, GQ and USA Today, and its guest list (Conan O’Brien, Jon Hamm, Richard Lewis, Zach Galifianakis and Sarah Silverman, just to name a few) reads like a Who’s Who of Hollywood
Paul Varghese
Paul Varghese
Paul Varghese
Paul Varghese insists he’s committed to making his career on stage, and doing it from Dallas. He already is, actually: He’s had a Comedy Central special, tours colleges and clubs and festivals around the country, and last year opened for Dave Chapelle during his impromptu swing through Texas.”
And there’s more: Varghese won the 2013 Laughing Skull Comedy Festival, a bracket of talent to rival anything March Madness can bring. This is all to say, Varghese has established himself as a top American comic and taken some of the biggest stages in the country, all before releasing his first CD.
Tower City Headliner Alumni (Cont')
Jasmine Ellis 2022
Dry Bar, NPR's top 20 Comedy Album of 2022
Steve Byrne 2022
Comic, Director, actor, writer, Steve Byrne has has specials on Netflix, Comedy Central, and Showtime. Most noted for costarring role in TBS' "Sullivan and Sons".
Bill Dwyer 2022
Joey Johnson 2022
Host on Battle Bots, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing and Parks and Recreatiion and more!
Joey Johnson 2022
Joey Johnson 2022
Joey was our 2021 Roastbattle Winner and in a idea, we bring the winner back to host the following year and name the show after them! So enjoy the Joey Johnson Roast Battle!
Ralph Harris 2021
Movies like "Dream Girls" and "Evan Almighty", TV appearances like Seinfeld, A Comedy Central special, and a HBO half hour special makes Ralph Harris a Legend in Comedy!
John Wessling 2021
Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Live at Gotham, and the Roast oof Jeff Foxworthy. John Wessling is also a regular on Carnival Cruise Lines
Jimmy Pardo 2020
Jenny Zigrino 2020
Shane Torres 2020
Our largest crowd ever was held in court by the never dissappointing Pioneer of Comedy Podcasting Jimmy Pardo. Never Not Funny, That 70's show, Conan, and more!
Shane Torres 2020
Jenny Zigrino 2020
Shane Torres 2020
Vulture magazine called his Guy Fieri bit on Conan was one of the top 100 bits of the 2000's.
Jenny Zigrino 2020
Jenny Zigrino 2020
Chris Fairbanks 2019
Bad Santa 2, Drunk History on Comedy Central, at Midnight, with Chris Hardwick, Conan, what has she not done!.
Chris Fairbanks 2019
Chris Fairbanks 2019
Chris Fairbanks 2019
Quirky and lovable, Fairbanks was our first. His Conan appearance is one of our top 10. His style is not replicable.
Eric Schwartz 2019
Chris Fairbanks 2019
Eric Schwartz 2019
His ability to insert music into his act, make him a super exciting fun show to watch.
Sarah Tiana 2019
Chris Fairbanks 2019
Eric Schwartz 2019
From Reno 911 to Light's Out with David Spade to Rob Riggle's side kick, she's America's Sweetheart comic.
Ready to Laugh.....
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The venues
Tower City Comedy
12 First Street NE
Downtown Paris Texas
South Main Iron
255 1st St SW
Downtown Paris Texas
Rigby's CIgar Lounge
10 North Plaza
Downtown Paris TX
The Cellar on First Street
28 SE 1st Street
Downtown Paris, Tx