Beverly's Warrior Weekend To Pack Quite A Punchline In 3rd Year

BEVERLY, MA — From sold-out shows in Texas and Arizona, to the legendary Laugh Factory and The Comedy Store in Los Angeles, to a combat tour in Iraq, Bryson Banks has seen a lot both during his time as a U.S. Marine and his eight years as a stand-up comedian.

This weekend, for the first time, the California native who grew up in Oklahoma will see the New England coastline as a headliner at Warrior Weekend and during a two-night stint at Off Cabot on Wallis Street in Beverly.

• What's New For 3rd Annual Beverly Warrior Weekend In 2025?

"I love to make people laugh," Banks told Patch before boarding a plane to Boston on Thursday night. "I am looking forward to guest speaking at Warrior Weekend. I think I am going to ride around in a tank at some point. I am going to be doing commentary on the drone races. I am looking forward to all of it.

"I love to make people laugh and smile and I get paid to do what I love. I think it's one of the best jobs in the world."

With nearly 50,000 Instagram followers and viral videos that have had millions of views, Banks has become a big hit with those who have a military background and civilians alike.

"Even the military stuff is broken down where people can understand and relate to it," he said. "I do a lot of crowd work and talking about my personal life and misfortunes that I've managed to make funny."

Banks served in Iraq from 2006 and 2010 as a member of a sniper squad — but jokes that he is allergic to bushes.

"Everybody's been camping so they understand," he said. "I make it relatable so even if you haven't even seen a military movie, it's funny."

Banks will play the Off Cabot Friday night (7 p.m. doors) and an early evening show on Saturday (5:30) before taking part in the Warrior Weekend memorial ceremony on Sunday. He will be on hand at Beverly High School most of the weekend for other Warrior Weekend events and exhibitions.

He said Beverly Veterans Services Director David Perinchief sought him out for the third annual Warrior Weekend — helping him set up the two nights at Off Cabot to make the trip work.

Banks will be part of a jam-packed two-day Warrior Weekend that includes hourly musket, rifle and cannon firing, a planned U.S. Coast Guard helicopter landing on Sunday at 10 a.m., a K9 demonstration on Sunday at noon, Veterans Affairs services on Saturday, Healing Horses, Rain Forest Reptiles (including snakes and turtles this year), Cape Ann Animal Rescue, Touch-A-Truck on Sunday, Red Cross blood drive on Saturday, the interactive drone races and dozens of military apparatus and reenactors.

A full schedule of activities and events can be found here.

Parking for this weekend's events will be at the Cummings Center, Beverly Middle School and in the outside lots at Beverly Hospital.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)