Feeling a little punny? We have a verbal supplement.

The 48th Annual O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championships

Saturday, May 10, 2025, 10 am - 6 pm

(The 2025 lottery to be a contestant is over.)

Be square, be there in Brush Square Park, right behind the O. Henry Museum in downtown Austin!

The Pun-Off is a FREE public event that takes place outdoors, weather permitting. No ticket or RSVP is required!

The Grand Daddy of all pun competitions is in Austin, Texas, naturally. Is it the best?
Yes. Is it the oldest? Definitely. Is it the funniest? Easily.

There are a lot of great pun competitions all over the US. Probably all over the world. But the O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championships has been around for 48 jears!
It’s hard to imagine one more refined. For Texans, anyway.

2024 Pun-Off Champions! [photo by Glenn Greenwood]

OFFICIAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

48th Annual O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championships

May 10, 2025 - 10am - 6pm

Live Music begins at 10:00am!

Punniest of Show Competition

Date: Saturday, May 10, 2025, approx. 11:30am-1:30pm
Place: Brush Square Park (Outdoors, weather permitting. Bring your own lawn chairs, blankets, etc.!)
32 contestants perform prepared 90 second pun routines for judges.

PunSlingers Competition

Date: Saturday, May 10, 2025, approx. 2:00pm-5:30pm
Place: Brush Square Park (Outdoors, weather permitting. Bring your own lawn chairs, blankets, etc.!)
32 Contestants make spontaneous puns on a topic in five seconds against an opponent. Contestants advance through rounds until one PunSlinger wins it all!

And there's more!

Live Music starting at 10:00 am.
Silent Auction - bid on unique, valuable items from 10:00am-4:00pm.

Punsters United Nearly Yearly (P.U.N.Y.) Social

Date: Friday, May 9, 2025, 6 - 9 pm
Place: Brush Square Courtyard (beside O. Henry Museum)
Contestant games & pun practice rounds. Punster of the Year Award.

Congratulations to all 2024
O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championships Contestants!

Punniest of Show Winners

1st Place (Gary Hallock Memorial Award ): Jerzy Gwiazdowski
2nd Place: Tobias Miceli-Gwiazdowski
3rd Place: Erika Ettin

PunSlingers Winners

1st Place: Jerzy Gwiazdowski
2nd Place: Blake Bauserman
3rd Place (tie): Maury Zeff and Atom Even Engel

MMMVP Award: Sarah Flocken