'Summer camp for comedy': Oddblock Comedy Festival takes over South Osborne

Oddblock Comedy Festival kicks off its third year on Thursday in Winnipeg with talent from across the United States and Canada.

The four-day comedy block party has Nick Thune, Eliza Skinner, Dulce Sloan, Ron Lynch and Chris Fairbanks set to take the stage, among dozens of other comics.

 "We really modeled ourselves after the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, which, comedians tend to call it summer camp for comedy. We try to do the same thing … very close together, high energy," said Oddblock's co-founder and artistic director Kevin Mozdzen. "We're always really excited to bring a lot of American comedians who might not get the chance to come down."

After just a few years, the festival is finding its feet and its audience, ditching shows a few blocks away and bringing back favourites like the licensed patio, food trucks and the comics that fans raved about.

Ron Lynch's comedy-meets-audio-performance-art-meets-magic act will be back this year for a third go-around.

"He's someone who came out and did the first festival and really exceeded everyone's expectations and was just something completely out of the ordinary … it's just the weirdest most off-the-cuff thing anyone has ever seen," said Mozdzen. "A lot of people were clamouring for us to bring him back the second year and again for year three, so it's getting to the point where I don't think we could do it without him."

And this year, there'll be a special guest on Lynch's show. Former Kid in the Hall Kevin MacDonald is scheduled to perform alongside him.

"We have a pretty substantial amount of Canadian comedians from Toronto and Vancouver this year, like Sophie Buddle, Mayce Galoni from Vancouver as well as Pat Thornton, Chris Locke, Sara Hennessey from Toronto," said Mozdzen.

'Getting in trouble for smoking pot'

Oddblock has stiff competition in the long-running and highly regarded Winnipeg Comedy Festival, but, Mozdzen says, they provide very different experiences.

"I don't know how much we compete for the same festival-goers. I think we provide two different products," he said, adding shows are low-production, they're all within a few metres of each other and because the shows aren't televised, there's not as much pressure on comics.

"Because we're such a small, high-density festival, those comedians are really running up and down the street between shows. You have a great chance of sitting on the patio and having a drink on the patio with the headliner you just saw," he said. "Todd Glass last year was one of our headliners. He was always out there, just hanging out, talking to comedians, talking to fans, getting in trouble for smoking pot."

Mozdzen said he's personally looking most forward to returning comic Chris Locke's set, but recommends people check out Thune, Skinner (she "really stole the show" at Bridgetown Comedy Festival this year) and Sloan.

"Personally, Chris Locke is one of my favourite, favourite comedians," he said.

The Oddblock Comedy Festival runs Thursday through Sunday at The Park Theatre, Vera Pizza, BMC Market, Game Knight and Park Alleys.