ASPEN, Colo.-
After 13 years, the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival won’t be returning to this resort town next winter.
“We’ve made the bittersweet decision not to host the festival there in 2008. We hope that circumstances will allow us to return to Aspen in the future,” festival CEO Bob Crestani said in a statement released by HBO, the event’s main sponsor, on Friday.
The announcement comes after a third of the comics set to perform this year didn’t arrive on time because of bad weather. An HBO spokeswoman who didn’t want to be identified said it’s also become harder to get hotel rooms in Aspen because more hotels offer time-share rooms or minimum stays of four or five nights.
The festival has reserved some office and performance spaces for 2009 and 2010, leaving open the possibility it could return later.
The event has helped launch the careers of comics, including Ray Romano, who ended up on “Everybody Loves Raymond” after his appearance. It has also honored comic legends including Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Allen, Stephen Colbert, Rodney Dangerfield, and Steve Martin.
