Photo provided by Mark Chalifoux Mark Chalifoux performs in an undated photo.
Need a break from the stress of the new year? Nationally touring comedian Mark Chalifoux has you covered.
Upland Columbus Pump House’s “Pump Up the Laughs” comedy series is continuing into 2026 with headliner Mark Chalifoux, making his Columbus debut on Jan. 16. With his relatable and clean style of humor, audiences are sure to walk away laughing.
The show starts at 7 p.m. at the Upland Columbus Pump House. Tickets cost $17.85 and can be purchased at eventbrite.com.
Comedy has always been an interest of Chalifoux’s, having grown up on comedy like “The Daily Show,” but it was never something he thought he could do professionally. While in college at Ohio University, he and a few friends went on a trip to New York, and a visit to a comedy club really opened his eyes to the career path.
After graduating with a major in journalism, Chalifoux started working in sports talk radio and journalism. But it wasn’t until he met touring comedian Josh Sneed that he decided to go down the path of comedy.
“… most of his touring career has been based out of Cincinnati, so he used to come on our station in Cincinnati all the time,” Chalifoux said. “Every few weeks, he’d be in the studio and he always thought I was pretty funny so he encouraged me to try stand-up and kind of went from there.”
Chalifoux, after performing for a few years in the Midwest, decided to pack his bags and move to New York City. He stayed there for about five years before moving back to the Midwest.
“Being in New York is where I really started to cut my teeth and really progress a lot in the stand-up comedy world,” Chalifoux said. “It’s sort of like a comedy college; all the best comedians are going there and you push each other to get better quicker. It’s the best comedy city in the country, for sure.”
He mostly stuck to comedy writing during the COVID-19 pandemic, but he spent a lot more time touring in 2025. One aspect of the entertainment industry he’s learned to embrace over the years is the uncertainty of it, which he said keeps it fresh and exciting.
His Dry Bar comedy special, which he released last year, has received millions of views across social media. He’s also been featured on Nate Bargatze’s Nateland and on the Bob and Tom Show.
He also records a football podcast called “The Growler.” Probably one of his biggest career highlights, he said, was the release of his comedy album “Think Fast,” which came out in 2019. Since that plays often on SiriusXM, he said it was a great initial boost of exposure for him.
Growing up in the Midwest has been a big influence on his style of comedy, but his time in New York also means he has a lot of punchlines in his head. Chalifoux said he tries to keep his comedy style laid-back and relatable, with lots of personal stories thrown in there too. He’s heard from more established comedians that the more personal you get, the more universal it becomes.
“That, to me, has always been more fulfilling than just, ‘hey, isn’t Taco Bell weird,’ or, ‘I saw this crazy commercial, let’s talk about that,’” Chalifoux said.
One of his favorite parts of being a comedian is going to places he’s never been to before like Columbus. He said he’s heard good things about Columbus and its people, so he looks forward to being able to do a show in a cool place for people who are excited to see stand-up comedy. He hopes people are able to forget about their own problems for a few hours and have some laughs.
“That’s what I aiming to deliver…. It’s a lot of pressure as a headliner when people have built their night around it,” Chalifoux said. “They went out to dinner or got a babysitter and stuff so you really have to deliver a quality show and that’s what I do every time out is make sure that everyone has a great night and kind of forget about the stuff that’s weighing them down in their personal life and just have some laughs.”
