The Onion, A.V. Club, And Lyft Offer Riders A Chance To Cruise Chicago With A Comedian

CHICAGO, May 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of The Third Annual 26^th Annual Comedy Festival, America's Finest News Source, The Onion, along with its pop-culture sister publication, The A.V. Club, has partnered with Lyft, the fastest-growing ride share company in the U.S., to offer select riders a chance to cruise Chicago with a comedian.

Next Wednesday and Thursday (June 1^st and 2^nd), Lyft passengers who request a ride between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. CT around festival venues The Civic Opera House, Lincoln Hall and Thalia Hall, will have the chance to ride with a participating festival comedian. Winners will be selected at random, and will receive a free ride; what is sure to be the 'Lyft' of a lifetime.

Thanks to Puerto Rico's premium rum DonQ, one lucky Lyft rider will also be selected from the audience next Friday, June 3^rd, at the Comedy Festival's Bell Hop After Shows at Virgin Hotels Chicago, hosted by Ian Abramson.

To celebrate, Lyft will provide discounts throughout the duration of the Comedy Festival; new passengers can receive $5 off each of their first 10 rides, and current passengers can get half off of one ride (for up to $10) between a festival venue and Virgin Hotels Chicago.

"This month marks three years of Lyft in Chicago, and we're thrilled to be celebrating with The Onion and A.V. Club for their Third Annual 26th Annual Comedy Festival," said Lyft Chicago General Manager, David Katcher. "After three years of Chicago winters, three of years of getting fans to Wrigley Field, and three years of offering safe, affordable rides home after a late night on the town, we've learned that the people of Chicago love to laugh. As the official transportation partner of the festival, attendees can spend more time enjoying the shows and less time worrying about how to get around."

Participating comedians include:

• Ian Abramson – Named "Best Experimental Comedian" and one of the "16 Comedians You Should See This Fall" by Chicago Magazine in 2014, Abramson is a Second City and iO Theatre alum, and is a regular contributor for The Onion. He has performed at the world-famous Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, SXSW, Funny Or Die's Oddball Comedy Festival, and UP Comedy Club. TV credits include The Middle on ABC and Join or Die with Craig Ferguson on the History Channel.
• Brian Babylon –The self-proclaimed "Prince of Bronzeville", Chicago-born comic and radio host Brian Babylon is a fixture in Chicago's rich comedy community. He is a regular on popular NPR weekly news quiz show, Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, contributes to BBC Radio, and can be seen in Season 3 of "Inside Amy Schumer" on Comedy Central this year. Babylon recently made the move to Los Angeles to join the production team of new Comedy Central show Why? with Hannibal Buress.

The five-day, multi-venue Comedy Festival will take place from Wednesday, June 1 through Sunday, June 5 and feature an all-star lineup including comedic heavyweights Tracy Morgan, Sarah Silverman & Friends, Reggie Watts, Big Terrific (feat. Jenny Slate), SNL's Michael Che, Chris Gethard, and many more.

The Third Annual 26th Annual Comedy Festival is brought to you by principal festival sponsor, truTV, as well as Lyft, DonQ, Virgin Hotels Chicago, and Lagunitas.

For the full festival schedule, comedian bios and to purchase tickets, visit www.26comedy.com.

About Onion, Inc.
Onion, Inc. is a Chicago-based digital media company composed of America's Finest News Source, The Onion; pop-culture sister publication, The A.V. Club; internet culture satire website, ClickHole; celebrity gossip website, StarWipe; and creative services agency, Onion Labs. Founded in 1988, The Onion has become America's most recognizable and prominent source of comedy, with daily coverage of politics, technology, sports, business, entertainment and more. Onion, Inc. properties have a shared audience of over 30 million monthly unique visitors and account for more than 5.5 million Facebook fans, 8.5 million Twitter followers, and 800,000 YouTube subscribers.

About Lyft
Lyft was founded in June 2012 by Logan Green and John Zimmer to reconnect people and communities through better transportation. Lyft is the fastest growing rideshare company in the U.S and is available in more than 200 cities. Lyft is preferred by drivers and passengers for its safe and friendly experience, and its commitment to driving positive change for the future of our cities.

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SOURCE Onion, Inc.