Submitted Photo Jeff Foxworthy.

Special to the OBSERVER

JAMESTOWN — The National Comedy Center, the nation’s official museum and cultural institution dedicated to comedy, announced Tuesday that comedian Jeff Foxworthy, and Saturday Night Live cast members David Spade, Rob Schneider and Kevin Nealon will perform during the 30th annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, Aug. 5-9.

Jeff Foxworthy, the largest-selling comedian of all time with more than 13 million albums sold, will be performing on Friday, Aug. 7.

Foxworthy is one of the most respected and successful comedians in the country, a multiple Grammy Award nominee and a best-selling author of 26 books. Widely known for his redneck jokes, his act goes well beyond that to explore the humor in everyday family interactions and human nature, with a style that has been compared to Mark Twain’s.

The festival will mark the 45th anniversary of SNL this year with three of SNL’s performers: Spade, Schneider and Nealon. The “Legends of SNL” show will take place on Saturday, Aug. 8.

Spade, Schneider and Nealon were all part of the cast and writing team of SNL during a pivotal era for the NBC show in the 1990s. Each of them created memorable and beloved characters throughout their run on the show, and each were nominated for Emmy awards as part of the SNL writing team.

Both shows will be held in Jamestown’s Northwest Arena, adjacent to the NCC complex.

“The National Comedy Center is pleased to welcome the largest-selling comedian of all time – Jeff Foxworthy – to Jamestown for the 30th anniversary of the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, and to reunite three of the greatest SNL cast members on stage for an unprecedented night of comedy,” National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson, said.

Tickets for these shows, along with many other festival comedy events, will go on pre-sale for National Comedy Center members only – starting Tuesday, Feb. 25 at noon. Public on-sale date will be Tuesday, March 3 at noon.

“This Lucille Ball Comedy Festival will once again offer great comedy for everyone, from stand-up comedy’s biggest stars to the best rising talent, to panel discussions on the art of comedy,” stated Malachi Livermore, the National Comedy Center’s Director of Programming and Guest Experiences. “And we’ve got much more to announce in the coming months.”

Spade is currently the host of Comedy Central’s late night show “Lights Out with David Spade.” He was nominated for an Emmy and Golden Globe Award for his memorable role in the popular TV comedy “Just Shoot Me” and co-starred with SNL’s Chris Farley in the feature films “Tommy Boy” and “Blacksheep.” Spade continues to appear in feature films and make guest appearances on television. He has several well-received stand-up comedy specials, including the 2014 Comedy Center special “David Spade: My Fake Problems.”

Schneider has starred in some of the biggest comedy feature films of the past 20 years, including “Grown Ups,” “Waterboy, and “Big Daddy.” He also starred the movie “Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo” and created and starred in the Netflix docu-series “Real Rob,” which focuses on the day-to-day hijinks of Rob’s life.

Nealon was one of the longest-running cast members in SNL history. He has received critical acclaim for his role in the Showtime series “Weeds,” and currently stars on the CBS comedy “Man with a Plan” and produces and hosts the digital series “Hiking with Kevin.” His extensive film career includes “Anger Management,” Eight Crazy Nights,” “The Wedding Singer” and “Happy Gilmore.”

The festival is presented by the center and embodies Lucille Ball’s vision for her hometown, Jamestown, to be a destination for the celebration of the comedic arts and to showcase new comedic talent from around the country. The festival attracts over 15,000 attendees annually from nearly every state in the country, who come together to share laughter while honoring the craft and contributors on stage at dozens of venues throughout Jamestown, including the National Comedy Center and the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum.

In 2019, the festival, which featured comedians Sebastian Maniscalco and John Mulaney, was the largest festival in its history. In 2018, the festival celebrated the grand opening of the center and featured Amy Schumer, Lily Tomlin and a panel of original “Saturday Night Live” performers and writers including Dan Aykroyd, Laraine Newman and Alan Zweibel.

To become a National Comedy Center member in order to gain first access to available seats during the pre-sale ticket window, visit ComedyCenter.org/membership or call the National Comedy Center at 484-2222. Memberships start at $50 and provide benefits including a full year “season pass” for visiting the acclaimed National Comedy Center in Jamestown.