1999 Seattle performer and writer Mike Daisey looked around at his friends and saw something special: an emerging community of sketch comedians eight or ten groups strong, more than fifty people deep. What would happen, he thought, if they combined forces? SketchFest ‘99 presented nine Seattle comedy troupes performing 8-minute samplers to sold-out audiences at Theater Off Jackson. Seattle celebrity John Keister hosted the event and ended up using certain groups on future episodes of his television show, “The John Report with Bob.”
Participating groups included: Bald Faced Lie | Disgruntled Bit-Players | The Habit | Kazoo! | LO BLO | Some Kind of Cult | Several Canadian Husbands | Pork Filled Players | Up in Your Grill
2000 SketchFest gained the attention of comedy groups from Portland to Los Angeles. With a growing pool of dedicated volunteers, 13 comedy groups performed 50-minute shows to sold-out audiences at the Speakeasy Café.
Participating groups included: The 3rd Floor (Portland) | The 3rd Floor (LA) | Bald Faced Lie | The Class Project | Disgruntled Bit Players | The Habit | Kazoo! | LO BLO | Some Kind of Cult | Pork Filled Players | Up In Your Grill | Theater on the Rocks | Van Gogh-Goghs
2001 SketchFest tripled our audience capacity in the 286-seat Broadway Performance Hall. We enticed audiences through the torrential rains with multimedia performances that included movies, videos, local bands and all the fake blood we could pack into three nights of comedy.
Participating groups included: 30 Helens | The 3rd Floor | Actual Size | The Class Project | Disgruntled Bit-Players | Kasper Hauser | Killing My Lobster | Pork Filled Players | The Midwesterners | Slide County | Some Kind of Cult | Theater on the Rocks | TROOP! | Van Gogh-Goghs
2002 Once again housed in the Broadway Performance Hall, SketchFest expanded to two weekends, giving comedy groups the opportunity to perform their show twice. Groups from Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orlando, Austin, Chicago, and New York City rocked Seattle with their wicked comedy ways. Highlights of both weekends included cutting-edge performances at PUSH, a late-night forum for experimental comedy work.
Participating groups included: Bald Faced Lie | Cupid Players | The Class Project | Catch 24 | Kasper Hauser | Hoskins & Breen | Latino Comedy Project | LO BLO | The Midwesterners | Oops | Guys | Pink Steel | Some Kind of Cult | Superpunk | Totally False People | TROOP!
2003
Participating groups included: The 3rd Floor (Portland OR) | The Animal Club (Chicago IL) | Bald Faced Lie (Seattle WA) | The Defiant Thomas Brothers (Chicago IL) | Flaming Box of Stuff (Seattle WA) | Gut-Wrench (Vancouver BC) | Jeff [Schell] & Dave [Swidler] (Hollywood CA) | Long Hard | Comedy Rocket (Vancouver BC) | PUNCH DRUNK (Dallas TX) | Three Dead Trolls In A Baggie (Edmonton AB) | TROOP! (Los Angeles CA) | Wig Box (Los Angeles CA) | White Noise (San Francisco CA)
2004 Participating groups included: The 3rd Floor (Portland OR) | Bald Faced Lie (Seattle WA) | Elephant Larry (New York NY) | Flaming Box of Stuff (Seattle WA) | FURIOSO! (Seattle WA) | Kazoo! (Seattle WA) | MEAT (New York NY) | The OOPS GUYS (Orlando FL) | Riegel and Blatt (Los Angeles CA) | The Royal We (New York NY) | Ten West (Los Angeles CA) | TROOP! (Los Angeles CA)
2005 Participating groups included: The Animal Club (Chicago, IL) | Becky & Noelle (New York, NY) | The Cody Rivers Show (Bellingham, WA) | Champagne (Seattle, WA) | Elephant Larry (New York, NY) | Flaming Box of Stuff (Seattle, WA) | Fresh Meat NYC (New York, NY | HYPNAGOGIA! (Seattle, WA) | Prank the Dean (San Francisco, CA) | Real Good Turbo (New York, NY) | Ten West (Los Angeles, CA) | TROOP! (Los Angeles, CA)
2006 Participating groups included: Dry Clean Only (Los Angeles, CA) | The Cody Rivers Show (Bellingham, WA) | All American Push Up Party (Seattle, WA) | Elephant Larry (New York, NY) | Karla (Los Angeles, CA) | Bucket (Vancouver BC) | Summer of Tears (Los Angeles, CA) | Oh, You and Your Bone Spurs (Los Angeles, CA) | kevINda (Chicago, IL) | Becky & Noelle (New York, NY)
2007 Participating groups included: The 3rd Floor (Portland, OR) | The Apple Sisters (New York, NY) | The Cody Rivers Show (Bellingham, WA) | The Cory and Doug Show (Seattle, WA) | Drop Six (New York, NY) | Girly (Chicago, IL) | KARLA (Los Angeles, CA) | Kasper Hauser (San Francisco, CA) | Keilly and Roeters (Los Angeles, CA) | Party Central USA (New York, NY) | Scarecrow and Mr. Vogt (Seattle, WA) | Ten West (Los Angeles, CA) | THEM! (Seattle, WA) | A Week of Kindness (New York, NY)
2008 
Participating groups included: All American Push Up Party (Seattle, WA) | Angel Yau (Los Angeles, CA) | Assaulted Fish (Vancouver, BC) | The Birthday Boys (Los Angeles, CA) | Charles (Seattle, WA) | The Cody Rivers Show (Bellingham, WA) | The Cory and Doug Show (Seattle, WA) | The Entertainment Show (Seattle, WA) | Found Magazine (Ann Arbor, MI) | Hey You Millionaires (Chicago, IL) | The People’s Republic of Komedy (Seattle, WA) | The Pork Filled Players (Seattle, WA) | Sidecar (New York, NY) | Slow Children Crossing (Los Angeles, CA) | The Sound of Young America (Los Angeles, CA) | Ubiquitous They (Seattle, WA) | Unexpected Productions (Seattle, WA)
2009 Participating groups included: Becky and Noelle (NYC/Seattle) | CACTUS – the seduction … (Melbourne, Australia) | Charles (Seattle) | The Cody Rivers Show (Bellingham, WA) | The DK and Morgan Show (Bellingham) | The Entertainment Show (Seattle, WA) | Generation Friends (Olympia) | Gude/Laurance (Seattle) | History: Deleted Scenes & Extras (Toronto) | Hey You Millionaires (Chicago) | Killer Donut (Seattle) | Morgan Brayton (Vancouver, BC) | The People’s Republic of Komedy (Seattle) | Pork Filled Players (Seattle) | The Riot Act (L.A./Seattle) | Seeder and Lee (Chicago/L.A.) | Sidecar (NYC) | Slow Children Crossing (L.A.) | Ubiquitous They (Seattle) | Uncalled For (Montreal)
2010 
Participating groups included: Audience of Two (NYC) | Charles (Seattle) | The Cody Rivers Show (Bellingham) | The DK and Morgan Show (Bellingham) | Generation Friends (Olympia) | Hey You Millionaires (Chicago) | Killer Donut (Seattle) | Last Call Cleveland (Cleveland) | Ubiquitous They (Seattle)
2011 
Participating groups included: Drop the Root Beer and Run | The DK and Morgan Show | WTF | The Ashley Judd Comedy Hour | Ubiquitous They | Pork Filled Players | The Entertainment Show | Charles | Disgruntled Bit Players | SWEAT | The Peter ‘n’ Chris Show | Don’t We Boys | Morgan Brayton | Teenager of the Year | Slow Children Crossing
Stand-up sets by: Barbara Holm | Emmett Montgomery | Brian Boshes | Danielle Radford
For a full list of performer bios and photos, go to the 2011 Festival event page.
2012 
Participating groups included: The Entertainment Show | Andy and Barbara | Generation Friends | Pork Filled Players | Dog Watson’s Hoot Suppository | Drop the Root Beer and Run | Worst Case Scenario | Sweet Pea | Charles | Le Frenchword | Fresh Grounds | Ubiquitous They | The Cody Rivers Show | Missing Earl | Super Kudzu | Joe Wengert | CHAD Chats | Stag
Stand-up sets by: Peter Greyy | Mike Coletta | Sean Murphy | Jen Seaman | Rick Taylor
For a full list of performer bios and photos, go to the 2012 Festival event page.
2013 
Participating groups included: Now With Dames | One Man Wolfpack | Turbo Turkey | Worst Case Scenario | Chop and Blend | Boone Street Hooligans | Drop the Root Beer and Run | Broad Comedy | Jason and Spike | Princess | Bonafide | Carl’s Backyard | Ubiquitous They | Arthur Meyer | Charles | Don’t We Boys | Dog Dads
Stand-up sets by: Philip Schallberger | Yogi Paliwal | Drew Barth | Scott Losse | Barbara Holm
For a full list of performer bios and photos, go to the 2013 Festival event page.
2014 Participating groups included: Troy Mink | Day Job | Now With Dames | Drop the Root Beer and Run | Philip Schallberger | Tony Lacy | Princess | Charles | Melody | Generation Friends | The Entertainment Show | ALL CAPS | Tiny Baby Talk Show | Ubiquitous They | Attack! | Comedy Mystery Mutants | Lilan and Wilder | Hot Thespian Action | Stupid Time Machine | The Intecollectuals
Stand-up sets by: Brett Hamil | Erin Ingle | Andie Main | Tyler Schnupp
For a full list of performer bios and photos, go to the 2014 Festival event page.
2015 Participating groups included: Specific NW | 5 Stars | Stronger Than Love | Super Famous | Deep Lez | Mighty Mighty Mixed Nuts | Lake Party | Ballard Boyz | Getting Naked With Friends | Babyfin | The Red Sun | Really Entertaining Show | Ian Schuelke Wants A TV Show | Approximate PhD | Philip Schallberger | Part Plant | Sober Virgin | Tomato Tomato | Liz & Joel | Drop The Root Beer And Run | Charles | Princess | Girls With Brown Hair | Day Job | Vanessa Gonzalez | Ubiquitous They | Gossamer Obsessions
Stand-up sets by: Christian Leonard | Mona Concepcion | Caitlin Weierhouser | Emmett Montgomery
For a full list of performer bios and photos, go to the 2015 Festival event page.
2016 Participating groups included: BEEF! | Death & Taxes | Matt Hatfield | Jason & Spike | Smat! | Turbo Turkey | Part Plant | Super Famous | Generation Friends | Princess | World Extreme Pencil Fighting League | Ian Schuelke | Day Job | Tomato Tomato | Drop the Root Beer and Run | Sleepover | Fifty Percent Less Bear | Stronger Than Love | Deep Lez | Villains | TwoSon | Getting Naked With Friends | H.U.N.K.S. | Love Snack | Ladies & Gentlemen | Babyfin | Blade Brown
Stand-up sets by: Josh Chambers | Jason Goad | Finn Cottom | Natalie Holt
For a full list of performer bios and photos, go to the 2016 Festival event page.
2017 Participating groups included: Mischief | Always Be Clothing | Bigprov | Your Cousins | Stronger Than Love | Look Both Ways | Turbo Turkey | Drop the Root Beer and Run | Mad Gravity | Half Sister | Sleepover | Sober Virgin | Villains | Twist My Arm | Troy Mink | Smat! | Aurora | Time Bath | Day Job | Success 5000 | Maple Daddies | Becca Schall | Jason & Spike | Good Game | Evidence of a Snuggle | Totally Real Friends
Stand-up sets by: Dylan Cole | Rachel Walls | Abraham Tadesse | Tambre Massman
For a full list of performer bios and photos, go to the 2017 Festival event page.
2018 SketchFest Seattle embarked on a new adventure for 2018, partnering with the esteemed Seattle institution Unexpected Productions. Over the course of two weeks from September 21st through the 29th, groups performed in front of nearly sold-out houses at the famous Market Theater (you know – by the gum wall).
Participating groups included: D&D (Portland) | Darrin Schultz | Day Job | Diane | Doesn’t Even Rhyme | Drop the Root Beer and Run | Mad Gravity | The Maple Daddies | Not Oasis (Toronto) | Pure and Weary (Los Angeles) | Sleepover | Smat! | Sober Virgin | Your Cousins
For a full list of performer bios and photos, please visit the 2018 Festival event page
2019 SketchFest Seattle roared back into the Market Theater for our 20th Anniversary show, highlighting current and past groups to sold out houses for two weeks.
Participating groups include: A Walking Tour of Mags Corner (New York City) | Bad Medicine (Washington, D.C.) | Bathwater | CheerSpeare! | ChLane (Austin) | Disgruntled Bit Players | Drop the Root Beer and Run | Human Tubes | Justus Ladies | Kazoo | Maple Daddies | Marv ‘n’ Berry (Edmonton) | Matt Hatfield | Matt Olson | Nitro Girls (New York City) | Rascals | Salty Bees (Atlanta) | Sleepover | Sweaty Dee | The “Responsible” “Adults” | Tragic Girl
For a full list of performer bios and photos, please visit the 2019 Festival event page.
2020 was the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and SketchFest Seattle had to go all online. We produced four different evenings of live-streamed sketch comedy videos.
