Celebrated “Dirty Folk Rock” Comedian Jessica Delfino takes first place at Holding Court comedy event at NEPA region’s premier gay campground. Photo Credit — Submitted

Celebrated “Dirty Folk Rock” Comedian Jessica Delfino takes first place at Holding Court comedy event at NEPA region’s premier gay campground.

Photo Credit — Submitted

<p>Left to right: Comedians Bobby Hedglin-Taylor, Boris Khaykin and Chris Jones entertain the crowd at Camp Out Poconos.</p>
                                 <p><em>Photo Credit — Submitted</em></p>

Left to right: Comedians Bobby Hedglin-Taylor, Boris Khaykin and Chris Jones entertain the crowd at Camp Out Poconos.

Photo Credit — Submitted

<p>Newberry’s Yard of Ale hosts its next comedy night in their underground speakeasy on Saturday, June 8.</p>
                                 <p><em>Photo Credit — Submitted</em></p>

Newberry’s Yard of Ale hosts its next comedy night in their underground speakeasy on Saturday, June 8.

Photo Credit — Submitted

EAST STROUDSBURG — Comedians competed for first prize in a comedy night in front of a live audience on a recent Friday night in the theater space at Camp Out Poconos, a new gay-friendly campground in East Stroudsburg.

With over 100 attendees and nearly a dozen comedians giving it their all on stage, Camp Out Poconos crowned their first ever winner of the Holding Court with a trophy and cash prize. Those who didn’t make the audience laugh would be brutally gonged off the stage.

The pressure was on as two local drag Queens Carol Ann Carol Ann and Sharron Ann Husbands emceed the event, judging comedians such as New York City’s Boris Khaykin, local former Stroudsburg, P.A. resident and comedian Bobby Hedglin-Taylor and Lehigh Valley area comedians Zack Hammond and Chris Jones.

Comedians did stand-up on all themes, including impressions, childbearing (or lack thereof), LGBTQIA+ topics and more, but it was comedian Jessica Delfino’s “dirty folk rock” songs that won the audience and the judges over. Delfino was deemed winner of the first-ever Holding Court comedy title.

Jessica Delfino @ Camp Out Poconos’ Holding Court comedy night.

Delfino has performed all over the U.S. and world on TV, radio, stage and in some of the most famous comedy festivals in the world and is excited to be making her rounds in the Poconos scene lately.

Her award-winning act can next be seen Saturday, June 8 at “Poconos Underground Comedy” which is held monthly in a speakeasy-style bar under Newberry’s Yard of Ale in Stroudsburg.

The comedy show features NYC’s best comics, also including Boris Khaykin (who was also a part of the competition), Myq Kaplan and Emily Flake. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. and the doors open at 6:45 p.m. for the underground prohibition-era style venue.