Growing up Latine means living in a world full of laughter. From listening to elders’ stories, family reunions, and banter with friends, we know a good joke or roast when we hear it. Yet despite our naturally quick comedic reflexes, Latines who want to pursue comedy as a profession find themselves dealing with extra obstacles. This is especially the case for women, who must also find a way to stand out in male-centered comedy circuits. Thankfully, there are plenty of Latina comedians working hard to create spaces where their peers’ talents are welcome – like the Latina Comedy Festival.
The fest was born on August 21, 2022 – National Latina Day – at the Lincoln Lodge in Chicago. It began as one mini-marathon show in which 18 comedians did back-to-back 5-minute sets of their best work. It’s now in its fifth year with the 2026 festival running from October 1-3.
The event features an all-women committee and an all-Latina production crew, consisting of Janice V. Rodriguez, Jessi Realz, and Christina Gutierrez. I had the chance to speak to Janice V. Rodríguez, and we discussed the story behind the Latina Comedy Festival, its humble origins, and why this festival is for everyone.
Humble Internet Origins
“Two or three years before we did the first Latina Comedy Festival, I bought the domain name, latinacomedyfestival.com,” Rodriguez recounts. COVID-19 and lockdown were sending comedy shows to Zoom, a pattern that gave Rodríguez the opportunity to use her inactive domain to bring Latina comedians together. “We were doing online comedy,” explains Rodriguez, “Because of that, I ended up meeting a lot of comedians from across the country and all over the world.”
Meeting in person eventually created opportunities to finally connect and increase Latina visibility through quickly improvised events. “I hopped onto mini tours!” exclaims Rodriguez.
During visits to other cities and states with Latina comedian colleagues, conversations led back to one uncomfortable point: representation of Latina women in festivals and comedy showcases was low. Why not actually produce a festival and turn the domain into a real online presence?
Persistence and Growth
Per Rodriguez, the Latina Comedy Festival has consistently increased the number of comedians in its lineups, even producing Spanish-language shows as of last year. “People were always asking if a show is in Spanish, and Chicago has a huge Latine/Hispanic population,” Rodríguez explains.
Organizing is thorough, but it happens in stolen moments between juggling multiple obligations. As I was speaking to Rodriguez about festival, she was in the middle of writing press releases and putting final details together. “Everybody that works on this has full-time jobs and side projects, including comedy,” Rodríguez says.
The sacrifices are paying off for the production team as well as former participants, some of whom include Lisandra Vásquez, Marcella Arguello (now a recurring cast member at Abbott Elementary), and Glorelys Mora (Season 1 contestant of Kevin Hart’s Funny AF) to name a few.
The Future of the Latina Comedy Festival
Last year, comedy became resistance as ICE conducted numerous raids near Chicago’s Logan Square – close to the venue where the Latina Comedy Festival was taking place – and participants and organizers expressed solidarity with the community. This year, the Latina Comedy Festival hopes to take on a more celebratory tone.
Looking past this year’s event, Rodríguez and her production crew dream of growth. From someday taking the Latina Comedy Festival on the road to curating an all-star version with past participants, they have a lot of ideas.
Part of continuing to expand means discovering new voices. If you want to be one of them, Rodriguez recommends, “Record your set every time.” This, she says, will ensure you have options to submit to festivals. Having good video and audio quality is key, as many festivals only accept 5-minute videos. “Don’t submit a video with a lot of crowd work or a hosting set. Festival committees want to see your writing,” offers Rodriguez.
When asked why audiences should support a festival consisting of all Latina comedians, Rodriguez answered, “I know I’m biased, but we’re just so funny! We have a culture of storytelling, and that’s a common thread regardless of nationality. The Latina Comedy Festival is for everybody. It offers the human story from a different perspective.”
If you’re in the Chicago area, the Latina Comedy Festival runs from October 1-3, 2026 and features more than 40 comedians to support and 18 shows to choose from. You can keep up with their work via their website and Instagram.
