JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — Jennfier Piegzik of Chesapeake, Virginia has been a Lucille Ball fan since she was a little kid and has been waiting for years to come to the National Comedy Center.
"It's great to know that she had such an impact on the comedy world and all that she has accomplished," Piegzik said.
Piegzik and her family are one of thousands from across the county who will have converged on Jamestown over the next few days for 30th annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival.
Piegzik checked out the new Johnny Carson experience, as well as the tribute, “America's Golden Girl Betty White” and the Comedy Continuum wall.
"I'm just looking forward to taking it all in and seeing everything that Jamestown has to offer," Piegzik said.
The festival is back live and in-person for the first time in three years because of the pandemic, yet the center still following health and safety protocols.
Longtime executive director Journey Gunderson says highlights of the festival include performances by Margaret Cho, Jeff Foxworthy and the legends of “Saturday Night Live.”
"What I love about the feeling of the festival this year is the spirit of appreciation," Gunderson said. "It's a great day for Jamestown that we can come back and be live and in person this year after such a hiatus."
There are also cruises aboard the Chautauqua Belle, where visitors will sail along the Chadakoin River in Jamestown and Celoron, where Lucy was born and grew up. There are also events planned in the Tropicana Room, atop the Lucy-Desi Playhouse, as well as in the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts downtown.
All part of Lucille Ball's vision for her hometown, a vision Journey says she thinks would make the queen of comedy proud.
"Because she understood the power of comedy to impact people's lives,” Gunderson said. “And she was also a savvy business woman who prescribed for her hometown something that will now enrich it culturally and economically for generations to come."
Like Piegzik and her family, who also checked out the brand new Carl Reiner exhibit, encourage others to make their way to Jamestown for the festival.
"All of us watch television for the most part and there's so much rich history," Piegzik said.
The festival runs through Saturday, Lucy's birthday.