46th Annual O. Henry Museum Pun Off at Hilton Austin on May 13

The City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department’s Brush Square Museums and the Brush Square Museums Foundation present the 46th Annual O. Henry Museum Pun Off World Championships on Saturday, May 13 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Hilton Austin, 500 E 4th St. The O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championships is an internationally renowned spoken word competition focused on the art of the pun.

This classic Austin event includes live music, a silent auction, and t-shirt sales to benefit the O. Henry Museum. Two separate live contests will be held, Punniest of Show and Punslingers. Contestants may enter either or both contests. Winners will be selected by a panel of judges.

Registration and attendance is free! No ticket or reservation is required to attend the event. A maximum of 32 entrants per event will be accepted for registration. Contestants are chosen via lottery and entering doesn't guarantee you a spot in either competition. Register to participate at Punoff.com.

Usually held behind the O. Henry Museum, this year the Pun Off will temporarily be hosted courtesy of Hilton Austin while Brush Square is under renovation. Event parking at Hilton Austin is $20. There is metered parking and public parking garages located nearby. Public transit is also an option.

Punsters are excited to return to the event’s traditional springtime date, the day before Mother’s Day. For the last few years, the event has been held in October due to scheduling issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To express excitement about returning to the traditional date, this year’s theme will be “Spring for Words!”