For one weekend a year, Portland becomes the home of some of the funniest people on the planet.

The Bridgetown Comedy Festival, in its 10th year and running May 4-7 all over town, is a destination for top-flight national headliners. It also serves as a milepost for comics in the booming local scene with an interest beyond Portland's open mics and bar gigs.

With a number of local comics moving to Los Angeles and New York recently, a door has opened for some new faces, many of whom will be performing at Bridgetown for the first time.

"It's like college. Seniors graduate to a different city," local comic Milan Patel said. "Based on a combination of seniority and talent, you move up. So if eight people leave, that's eight open spots."

Patel grew up in Vancouver and started doing comedy in Seattle. He first experienced Bridgetown from the audience.

"All my Seattle comedy friends got in before I did. I went to Bridgetown and I hung out with them as they were doing their shows, and I was like, 'This is awesome.' "

Fellow first-timers Andie Main and Marcus Coleman also watched the festival before ever getting in.

"I'd never heard of Bridgetown," Coleman said. "I applied last year thinking it was a small local comedy festival. I had no idea, and then I volunteered."

Main, who has been performing stand-up for five years, had a different initial take:

"The first time I went to Bridgetown I was a couple months into comedy. I didn't bother even applying. I was so overwhelmed and excited. I just wanted to be at every single show. I studied my program, and I was like, 'I have to be at all of these, all the time.' "

Main, Coleman and Patel represent Portland comedy's next generation. For them, getting invited to perform in the city's premier comedy event is a step toward becoming Portland's next big thing.

"Other comedians from around the country will see me, and maybe they'll be like, 'This guy's funny,' " Patel said. "My hope isn't to meet one of the bigger comedians and network with them. I'd rather find cool people. If I see something I like, I generally make a beeline to that person. I'm really excited to meet 20 people like that."

Coleman, who has been doing comedy for two years, sees Bridgetown as an opportunity to expand his horizons.

"I just want to do as well as possible and hope someone sees it and likes it. I hope the rooms are full and somebody in that room can talk to somebody." Coleman said. "I don't know how it works. Send me to whoever is running L.A. or whatever."

For Main, there's something special about doing a festival on her home turf.

"There's a certain hometown advantage," Main said. "You'll see another comic at the Doug Fir, and you're like, 'This is my home, I'm super confident. Watch me just sparkle in front of this group of strangers.' "

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Bridgetown Comedy Festival

When: May 4-7

Where: Various venues

Tickets:

Festival passes start at $99, individual tickets for selected shows may be available;