The Gundo Comedy & BBQ Festival will return to El Segundo on Thursday for a collaboration between top pitmasters and comedians from around the country.

El Segundo resident Dave Williamson founded the Gundo Comedy Festival 10 years ago and attracted top comedians like Bert Kreischer, but the pandemic halted the popular festival, after the 2019 iteration; it didn’t return until last year.

But Williamson’s passion for barbecue began years before that. He had started the “Meat Dave” podcast in 2018, and when the pandemic hit, he had a lot more time on his hands to cook when his stand-up gigs came to a halt.

Williamson said he had started to build a reputation around town with his barbecue prowess, but when people started asking if he was going to bring the comedy festival back, he was not sure.

“There are so many comedy festivals now, and big ones in L.A.,” Williamson said. “I want to run one (that’s) unique and different. I just kept thinking, it’d be fun to have a barbecue festival here in town too. I was like, oh, man, the idea is right in front of my face. I should put the two together. So I pivoted and rebranded as the Gundo Comedy & BBQ Festival.”

Now in its second year, the event will feature nightly pop-up comedy shows with a “barbecue takeover” beginning on Thursday and culminating with the “Main Event” beginning at noon on Sunday, which will boast six different venues, barbecue with more than 10 pitmasters, a beer garden from El Segundo Brewing Co., cocktails, live music from Barley, a Special Kids Zone and Comedy Show featuring Michael Rayner, among other features.

Besides Williamson, the pitmaster lineup includes Big Moe Cason, Dustin Bartz, Matthew Stratham and Uncle Chico.

Comedians featured over the weekend will include Caroline Rhea, Brad Williams, Jeremiah Watkins, Katherine Blanford, Jesus Trego and South Bay favorite Danno Carter, who has hosted a weekly comedy show at Pancho’s in Manhattan Beach for 12 years.

The historic Old Town Music Hall will help kick off the festivities on Thursday, with comedy and barbecue, beginning at 8 p.m.

Five Point Five Brewing Co. and WWOO Kitchen will host events on Friday, beginning at 7 and 9 p.m.

WWOO will host master classes from Cason at noon and Mel Chmilar at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Cason will focus on the brisket while Chmilar will have a “Big Green Egg basics & Surf and Turf” master class.

The Old Town Patio on Sunday will host the Gundo Comedy finale, with a barbecue hosted by Brad Williams. Williamson and Chmilar will supply special barbecue items for that event.

Other venues hosting events include Smoky Hollow Roasters and South Bay Customs, where Williamson hosts a monthly comedy event.

Williamson said he sees similarities between being a stand-up comic and barbecuing.

“It feels like anybody who gets into comedy, or anybody who gets into cooking, specifically like authentic barbecue,” Williamson said, “you’re definitely the kind of person who likes to make people happy.”

Both specialties take a lot of prep work that people don’t see, Williamson said, like a comedian practicing jokes at a coffee shop or an open mic until they feel it’s perfected.

“Same thing with these pitmasters,” Williamson said. “Nothing wrong with a good burger or a slice of pizza or whatever. But if someone makes a brisket for you, that they gave 12 hours of their attention and energy into making and getting it right, I just think that it takes a special person to do that.”

Each event is ticketed.

“The quality of comedians that you’re going to see,” Williamson said, “would normally be very expensive tickets, especially these days,.”

But, Williamson said, everything is “reasonably priced” because “I want people to be able to go to more than one event.”

Tickets for the “Main Event” on June 8 are $48.80 for adults, $23.18 for children under 13.

“All Festival VIP” tickets are available for $215.26, including a fee.

Tickets for all of the other events over the four days can be found at gundocomedybbqfest.eventbrite.com.