'Hallowed ground' | Louisville comedians prepare for final bow at The Caravan

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The lights at The Caravan will go dark this spring after nearly 40 years as Louisville's oldest comedy club.

It's no laughing matter for the club's owners and local comics. But while the curtain is closing on the original Highlands location, the hope is to find a new home for the hallowed space.

Through the years, The Caravan has seen countless comedians take the stage. It's also gone through several name changes, from the Funny Farm to the Comedy Caravan.

"I've had bridal showers, I've had baby showers, I've had proposals on stages," said Diannea Comstock.

Comstock has owned the club for nine years, but has worked there for 26. But she and other tenants of the Mid City Mall on Bardstown Road are packing up and moving.

Development plans call for Mid City Mall to be demolished by the end of 2026 for a new development.

"Basically, we have run out of time on finding a new location," Comstock said. "So now it is OK, the pressure is on to find a new place to move to."

Comics who have been working the 230-seat room for years say the closure is emotional for them. Hundreds of performers have signed the walls leading up to the green room.

"So just seeing these names and knowing this is kind of hallowed ground and just to be able to perform where all these people have performed is a blessing," comedian Chris Bowman said.

Some of the comedians to perform there through the years include Steve Harvey, Howie Mandel, Sinbad, Heywood Banks, Brett Leake, Tim Wilson, Mitch Hedberg and Pauly Shore.

"This place is for everybody. It always has been. Everybody comes here to have a good time," comedian Rich Ragains said. "We competed with Chicago, LA, New York, as far as having quality acts come through here."

The 4,000-square-foot space opened in the late 80s and served as the premiere spot for comedians to cut their teeth with new material.

Those who often play the club know there will be tears as the closing gets closer, but hope some of those will be because of the laughter that's left, along with the optimism for the club's future.

"I will still have the memories, but I won't have the visual and sometimes the visual will spark a memory you aren't ever going to have again," said Comstock.

The comedy club will have its final performances Friday, March 20, and Saturday, March 21 with Louisville's Rich Ragains as the headliner.

"I grew up in that room,” Ragains said in a news release Tuesday. "I learned timing there. I bombed there. I learned how to be funny when it mattered. That stage molded me."

The club is expected to officially close sometime in mid-April.

"Enjoy the memories with us, come hear some stories, come have some laughs and let's use this opportunity on this stage one last time to spread some joy in our community together," Bowman said.

For ticket information and reservations, 502-459-0022.

The Mid City Market project will likely feature a Publix grocery store and five retail buildings but no residential building, according to our partners at Louisville Business First. Plans also include more greenspace and an increase in pedestrian walkways through a 25% reduction in parking, which is more than 100 spaces. The library inside the Mid City Mall is also expected to stay and be moved to a building on the Beechwood Avenue side of the new development.

The Mid City Mall has been for sale since November 2024. The site is currently owned by the Bardstown Road Investment Co. and the David A. Metts Irrevocable Term Trust. It is assessed for tax purposes at $11.4 million.

Several businesses within Mid City Mall have already closed or moved. Ramen House Louisville moved to a location on Spring Street. The Nearly New Shop closed in September. The iconic Back Door Bar closed in May 2024, after the passing of longtime owner John Dant. Baxter Avenue Theatres closed at the end of 2025, citing the uncertain future of Mid City Mall.

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