Local comedians share what Laughfest means to them

West Michigan comedians discuss how the annual comedy festival supports Gilda's Club and cancer survivors

Mar. 11, 2026 at 9:48am

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Laughfest, an annual comedy festival in West Michigan, is underway, and local comedians Stu McCallister, Kim Cook, and Carl Sobel are sharing what the event means to them. The festival supports Gilda's Club Grand Rapids, which provides free support to people dealing with cancer. The comedians discuss how the festival allows them to use humor to cope with and raise awareness about cancer's impact on individuals and their loved ones.

Why it matters

Laughfest is an important annual event that brings the community together through comedy while also supporting a vital local organization that helps those affected by cancer. The festival provides a platform for local comedians to share their personal experiences and use humor as a way to cope with and destigmatize the challenges of cancer.

The details

Stu McCallister will be performing at the Dirty Show at Laughfest, and he emphasizes the importance of Gilda's Club Grand Rapids in providing mental health support to people dealing with cancer. Kim Cook, a cancer survivor, is using her experiences to create comedy material for the NKC Comedy Show and Cancer Survivor Showcase. Carl Sobel, who is headlining the NKC Comedy Show, is performing in honor of his aunt who passed away from cancer.

  • Laughfest 2026 begins today, March 11, 2026.

The players

Stu McCallister

A local comedian performing at the Dirty Show at Laughfest 2026.

Kim Cook

A local comedian who is a cancer survivor and will be performing at the NKC Comedy Show and Cancer Survivor Showcase at Laughfest 2026.

Carl Sobel

A local comedian who is headlining the NKC Comedy Show at Laughfest 2026 in honor of his aunt who passed away from cancer.

Gilda's Club Grand Rapids

A local organization that provides free support to people dealing with cancer and their loved ones.

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What they’re saying

“People always think about like, the medical stuff that's going on with you, and they're not thinking about the things, like the mental things that are happening for you and your loved ones, right? It can be your friends, your family, your co-workers, or whatever, and it's just kind of trying to help you deal with the grief and loss issues, even like you can survive, the years of this, the worry of that. This is a safe place for people to come.”

— Stu McCallister, Comedian

“The tough qualification to that you have to be dealing with cancer.”

— Kim Cook, Comedian

“I had my aunt passed away from cancer, and she was, like, the funniest, and like, she would have, like, just been stoked to see all the stand-up I've done, and since she's not around to see it, the fact that I can do something in her honor is just means the world to me.”

— Carl Sobel, Comedian

The takeaway

Laughfest provides a platform for local comedians to use humor to cope with and raise awareness about the challenges of cancer, while also supporting the vital work of Gilda's Club Grand Rapids in providing free mental health resources to those affected by the disease.