Mountain Fresh Comedy Festival coming to Moe’s BBQ
Leah Bonnema to headline show along with other nationally recognized comedians

Nick Holmby/Courtesy photo
Vail Comedy Show is flying in Los Angeles based comedian Leah Bonnema for night two of the Mountain Fresh Comedy Festival at Moe’s Original BBQ in Eagle. The multi-night festival included shows in Vail on Thursday, Eagle on Friday and Frisco on Saturday and focuses on late night television friendly comedy.
Bonnema has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS, is the author of The Holiday Breakdown, is a former headliner of the Vail Comedy Festival and co-hosts the “Were You Raised By Wolves” podcast.
Tickets for all Mountain Fresh Comedy Festival events can be found at MFComedy.com. Bonnema answered these questions in advance of his visit.
Leah Bonnema
Have you ever performed in the Vail Valley?
I’ve had the absolute pleasure of performing in Vail during the late winter/early spring and again during the summer for the Vail Comedy Festival. Both times the shows were an absolute delight and I was wowed by the beauty of the area. I can’t wait to be back in that fresh mountain air!

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Do you have a favorite Colorado comedy memory?
I mean, they are all pretty great. Hard to pick one. I really loved walking through the village going to a show in the evening. It was magical.
What do you know about Vail Comedy?
I actually started doing the Vail Comedy Shows during the pandemic on Zoom, which I believe were played on a theater screen. And then I got to go in person, how cool is that?! It was my first time ever in Colorado. I’m originally from Maine so I love a good wooded area.
Any major events coming up?
I am very excited for our show on Friday, Oct. 11th in Eagle! I hope that you will come join us! If you don’t, we will be sad and you will be sad. Which is no fun. So, no pressure. I am also very excited to be co-headlining a tour in late November/early December where we’ll be driving across America with our dogs. It’s called “Punchlines and Poo-Bags” (come on, aren’t we just a couple of silly gooses) so if you are in Chandler, San Antonio, Plano, Mobile or Charleston keep an eye out for us!
You live in Los Angeles but tour nationally, how does Colorado compare to other markets?
Amongst comedians Colorado seems in general to be known for having great crowds. And of course all the surrounding nature and mountains gives it an extra appeal. It’s a nice way to escape society and spend some quality time with your brain. There just seems to be a lot to explore on your off time in Colorado. That’s also another thing comics in New York often mentioned, how great it is for hiking and your soul. I totally get why people wanna live in this part of America. It seems like a good place to enjoy life. So I was pumped when I found out I was going back.
How would you describe your comedy?
I would say it’s like train of thought, my inner workings. I seem to talk a lot about dogs, Lord of the Rings, romance novels and murder. I mean you know, THE most important topics.
What is next for Leah Bonnema?
I am deeply thrilled to be releasing a Christmas audio book of my romcom novel, “The Holiday Breakdown,” on November 1! Please check it out!
Jamie Campbell
Jamie Campbell is a festival comedian from Kansas City, he answered these questions.
What are you excited about at Mountain Fresh Comedy Festival?
I’m excited to share the stage with some incredible comedians and to be part of a memorable weekend full of big laughs.
How has working clean impacted your comedy career?
Working clean has helped me to become a better writer. I think “clean comedy” gets a bad wrap for not being edgy. I believe good comedy is good comedy, and by working clean, I still get to talk about the same things, but I have to be more creative with how I describe them. I can still talk about controversial subjects and taboo ideas, but I have to be smarter with my word choices. I often do shows where I’m following comedians who are very explicit, and I take pride in the fact that my comedy gets big laughs, even in front of audiences who don’t require their comics to be clean.
Have you ever been to Vail and what did you love / what are you excited about if you’ve never been?
I’ve never been to Vail. I’m looking forward to the beautiful mountain views, the fresh air and making these Colorado audiences laugh.
The Mountain Fresh Comedy Festival will finish in Frisco on Saturday with Chris Voth from Last Comic Standing and The Late Late Show. The Vail Comedy Show will be back in November with Raanan Hershberg who recently appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, and in December with Comedy Central’s Carmen Morales. Tickets for all shows are available at vailcomedyshow.com.