CALL (858) 240-7860 OR CLICK HERE TO CONTACT JOE TODAY!
Contact Joe to schedule your Virtual Show today!
Fairs and Festivals
Joe Gandelman & Friends at the Fair.
“The Family Favorite” Comic Ventriloquist in San Diego, CA
Comic Ventriloquist Joe Gandelman has been doing family shows fulltime throughout the United States and in Canada for 30 years. His fast-paced fair and festival shows and sidesplitting humor are perfect for both stage and walk around – and are a MAGNET for families.
Book Joe Gandelman and Friends and you get:
- Fast paced comedy ventriloquism shows (you determine the length) with a BIG cast of wooden dummies and puppets.
- Interaction-packed shows that attract and keep crowds. The interaction has been adjusted to the coronavirus world.
- Optional “strolling” ventriloquism before some shows or strolling alone.
- Shows easily adapted to special audiences: seniors, kids, Spanish speakers (the show is not done entirely In Spanish but Joe spent extensive time in Spain and in Mexico).
- Help with fair/festival promo (photos, bio press release), appearances on local news casts, TV and radio interviews.
- Joe and his cast’s participation in special events. Past ones included his main wooden star John Raven entering a hog calling contest (he won an award for “Best Dummy”) judging talent shows, bubble gum chewing contests and performing during breaks in a demolition derby.
- The South Dakota State Fair
- The Marshfield Massachusetts Fair
- The Colorado State Fair
- Michigan State Fair
- Nez Perce County Fair (Two Times)
- Riverside County Fair (Two Times)
- Borderfest (Two Times)
- Big Horn County Fair (Three Times)
- Gilroy Garlic Festival
- Decatur Celebration
- Official Shrimporee Of Texas
- Champlain Valley Fair
- Lane County Fair
- El Paso County Fair
- Central Texas State Fair
- Del Mar Fair
- Boulder Folk and Bluegrass Festival
- Teton County Fair
- Riverfest
- The Solano County Fair
Joe and John are in the news!
Joe and his “Bilingual Family Entertainment cast” perform at fairs and festivals coast-to-coast.
The Key is Engagement
Audiences are no longer passive in this age of fast-paced news, social media and smartphones, so they need interactive entertainment that consistently engages. Joe brings the show to the audience and keeps their attention from start to finish.
An Entertainer for Every Venue
He has done his show on big stages, small stages, under the big top, in a pig barn arena even on the back of a pickup truck. Over the years, Joe has performed at a broad array of fairs and festivals, including:
Here’s a sampling of fair feedback:
“We had Joe return to our fair once again. Joe is very professional and always a pleasure to work with. Joe’s shows were always family oriented so as not to offend our Fair patrons at any time. Joe has many puppet characters that he used in his shows which received great reactions from crowds. After Joe would finish his shows, the kids would come up to the stage to ask Joe about his puppets and how they worked. Joe enjoyed interacting with the kids at the end of each show.
Joe would be a great asset for your fair/venue. He will draw a crowd for your event. If you’re looking for a fun family oriented show for your event, I would highly recommend Joe Gandelman/Ventriloquist.”
“Joe was great to have! Fairgoers enjoyed him, and he was easy to work with. I’d highly recommend bringing Joe and friends to your fair!”
“Joe’s performance is fun for all ages. He draws large crowds and keeps them entertained to the very end. I highly recommend Joe Gandelman and his trunk of friends!”
“Thank you and your “characters” for being at Vines and Vittles this year. The parents and kids loved you. I will let you know when we set a date so it can go on your calendar. Hopefully, you will be able to come. Thanks again for helping make Vines and Vittles successful. You are wonderful!”
Joe Gandelman and John Raven at the Fair.
“It was great having you here at the fair! I was by the stage several times and enjoyed seeing full seats, lots of smiles, and engaged families! Our marketing team commented on how wonderful you were to work with and how easy it was to get good social media content from you. As the Deputy Director, I look beyond just the value of the performance to see where the added value comes from. Your engagement with the marketing team is a great example of how in the 2020s, entertainers can help fairs successfully get the crowds to the fair!”
Joe Gandelman and John Raven make friends at the Arizona State Fair.
“Joe Gandelman and Friends” was a huge hit at our 2022 Redwood Acres ‘Bringing Back the Fun’ Fair. With this being our first year back after two years, it was a pleasure to have him be part of our biggest and best Fair yet. It was so much fun to see kids and adults laughing and smiling throughout the show, whether up on stage as part of the show, or watching from the crowd. I loved walking the grounds hearing ‘this show is amazing’ and ‘this guy is great’. I would be more than thrilled to have Joe and Friends back anytime.”
A young fair-goer meets Joe and Dolly Raven, star dummy John’s sister.
“Our most sincere thanks to you and your friends for providing great entertainment. Your performances greatly enhanced the Fair experience for SO many people! We appreciate your fun -hearted nature in joining in the contests and judging our Amazing Kids show! The talent and professionalism you always exhibit is a wonderful role model for all. It was our pleasure to work with you again. Please stay in touch!”
Joe and John with a new friend at the Marshville MA fair.
“Joe did an outstanding job and is super talented! Joe was accommodating and went above and beyond for our fair and the folks loved him. He was easy to deal with and a great communicator throughout the booking process and our fair. I highly recommend Joe. Thanks Joe for the great entertainment!”
Joe and a friend posing for the camera.
“I sat down an watched one of his shows with my four-year-old grandson. Joe put on a wonderful show! As I looked around the crowd, everyone was smiling and laughing out loud — from my grandson’s age to the adults who were there with their children or just watching on their own. Joe interacted with the kids by having some come on stage with him. After his show and throughout the fair, Joe was followed by kids who had watched the show. He was great with them and always took the time to visit them.”
Star dummy John makes some new friends.
“I would highly recommend Joe for any fair or festival. Joe has the ability to attract a crowd for every performance, whether it is strolling or a stage show. He attracts the young as well as the young at heart.”
Joe and friends at the Marshfield MA state fair.
“The Big Horn County Fair has hired Joe to work on the free stage for [several fairs]. Joe is very easy to work with and is always on time for his performances. He is always ready to help the fair in any way he can. I would say that he is one of my most watched performers. And the pre-teenagers all enjoy Joe.”
Joe and “talking” drawing board
“While Miss Rodeo Colorado Cassidy Cabot signed autographs in the Agriculture Pavilion, comic ventriloquist Joe Gandelman & Friends (an elephant, dragon, alien and bear among them) delighted Fairgoers seated in the shade near the Pepsi Stage. (The show runs twice daily throughout the expo and includes a quick lesson in his art for kids brave enough to join him onstage and don silly wigs).”
Joe and his elephant friend.
“Your professionalism, humor and willingness to go above and beyond are some of the reasons that I am happy to recommend your services. Your shows were well-received by our guests and there was not a request from our staff that was not accommodated in a timely fashion. Looking forward to seeing you down the road!”
“As you know, Fair attendance was up by 18% and we think it was, part, due to that wise-cracking puppet John Raven! I was told you and your puppets were one of the most popular events at fairs. The Kings Fairs guaranteed folks “a fun time” watching and listening to you … and you delivered You were friendly, timely, easy to work with — and most importantly GREAT ENTERTAINMENT.”
“He was well received at all of his shows and seeing that we had a sizable Hispanic audience o Saturday and Sunday he added Spanish to his performances. Having worked in the entertainment industry for the last 30 years I have come to appreciate entertainers who literally have their act together.”
“Joe Gandelman has been a very intricate part of our entertainment at both High Desert Spring Fetival and the Desert Empire Fair numerous times. Joe’s acts whether on stage of strolling NEVER CEASE to draw a huge crowd of both adults and children.”
“We were very happy with Joe Gandelman and his performances. Joe had a good crowd each performance and kept everyone laughing. I would recommend his services to anyone.”
“We hope you had as much fun as we did. Your ‘silliness’ was good for all of us. Thanks for adding your talents and for bringing your star attraction John Raven. He’s the one getting all the fan mail.”
“You delighted thousands of people in various areas of the grounds with your unique blend of entertainment. You and dummy John Raven are easy to work with and provide a unique form of fun accessible to all areas of the fairgrounds. You certainly provide smiles and fun for people of all ages!”
“You and your friends were just terrific! The way you managed to captivate the audience was absolutely amazing. The characters seem to alive and full of life that one could not help but feel that your special friends were perhaps human.”
“Everyone appreciated the fact that you went out among the audience and on the fairgrounds with your puppets and visited with youth and adults alike. The people really appreciated this in addition to your stage show. We liked that you ate in our facilities, and visited with our people who support the fair in the Merchants building. Your performances were exceptionally clean and especially suited to the audience you played to. We highly recommend your stage show — and your kindly attitude towards everyone both onstage and between shows.”
“You were professional, worked diligently and you were certainly entertaining. Not only did the children enjoy the show, but the adults as well.”
“You and your friends are the Cats Meow! Joe Gandelman and Friends made us proud.”
“Laredoans are much richer after sharing your unique experience with us. Young and young-at-heart” alike were entertained by your delightful characters, rich sense of humor and audience involvement!”
“Our staff continues to receive compliments from festival-goers who saw one of your shows.”
“Your performances were enjoyed by audiences ranging in age from pre-school to senior citizen. I personally appreciate your cooperation and flexibility in working with last minute changes.”
“I especially liked the way you immediately got the children involved and the way that each of your characters had a personality of his own. Your show had a wide appeal and I was very pleased to see the parents and adult spectators having as much fun as the children. Your ability to get children interested in your craft was apparent during the workshop. Your enthusiasm for what you do and your love of children was very heartwarming and infectious. We loved your act — and so did the children.”
“The Houston County Chamber of Commerce would like to say Great Show. The children were ecstatic and the grownups were in pain with laughter.”
CALL (858) 240-7860 OR CLICK HERE TO CONTACT JOE TODAY!