The mood in Downtown Los Angeles, the scene for Occupy LA protests just a few months ago, will be lightening up this fall with the Riot alternative comedy festival.

Riot is the first of its kind in LA. It will be held at the Downtown Independent Theater and nearby venues over a three-day weekend.

Riot postcard (Rusty Kugler & Jenifer Reeser).

The event is modeled after local indie music festivals like FYF Fest with three alternative spaces such as bars and parking lots, hosting simultaneous performances all three days.

A campaign on Kickstarter, a website that facilitates grassroots funding through individual backers, is going to partially finance the festival. The creative project surpassed its goal of $20,000 before the campaign ended.

Chris Register, one of Riot's founders, expected to reach that goal based on the positive feedback surrounding the idea.

"LA needs it and there's a market," Register said. "The excitement level is tremendous."

One of the city's best-known venues for alternative comedy, the Upright Citizen's Brigade, serves as a good way to gauge how the comedy business has been doing during the recession.

The theater has been maintaining a strong following due to a loyal audience who return for a consistent quality of comedy, according to artistic director Neil Campbell.

The festival will appeal to UCB's audience since it has a similar sense of community and do-it-yourself attitude, while giving up and coming talent exposure to more casual comedy fans who are there to see more famous faces, Campbell said.

The promotional video features some of those familiar faces, such as Patton Oswalt and Megan Mullally, while cleverly using the language of the Occupy movement and aesthetics of a public service announcement.

"It's a thriving scene and the goal is to open it up to people who are mildly curious, and say 'You don't know about it, but you're going to love it,'" Register said.

Register, the owner of a small catering business, has friends that are comedians but only recently thought of bringing his business acumen to the comedy scene. 

He and two friends, Abby Londoner and Jeff Wattenhofer, came up with the idea at a comedian friend's birthday party.

LA is home to many comedians who have achieved varying levels of success, and aspiring comedians will have the most to gain in terms of exposure by performing at a huge event with famous faces drawing in the crowds.

Although the Kickstarter campaign will help pay for the essentials including security and equipment, Riot is still seeking sponsorships from local businesses. It is also courting bigger companies in social media because comedians use those platforms to gain followings.

The financing and planning stage is happening early to ensure the best quality and execution of the event, according to Register.

Prior to the festival, the team behind the comedy celebration plans to utilize unconventional marketing tools like small pop-up comedy shows, comedian podcasts and "weird" contests.

Register explained that the goal of the Riot festival is to build the comedic scene in the city and produce a well-known brand of comedic quality that can carry on into other endeavors and future events.

The target date for Riot LA is mid-September.

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Reach reporter Tricia Tongco here and follow her on Twitter.