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47th Annual O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championships

The 47th Annual O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championship entered a new stage of WORD DOMINATION on May 11, 2024.

 

We (at last!) returned to our home location of Brush Square Park, right behind the
O. Henry Museum in Downtown Austin! 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.

2024 Winners 800 by Glenn Greenwood.jpg

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 Championship has been around for 47 jears! it’s hard to imagine one more refined. For Texans, anyway.

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

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

Punniest of Show Winners

  • 1st Jerzy Gwiazdowski

  • 2nd Tobias Miceli-Gwiazdowski

  • 3rd Erika Ettin

PunSlingers

  • 1st Jerzy Gwiazdowski

  • 2nd Blake Bauserman

  • Third (tie) Maury Zeff and Atom Even Engel

MMVP Award: Sarah Flocken

Gary Hallock Memorial Award: Jerzy Gwiazdowski

Punslingers 2024.jpg

OFFICIAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 

47th Annual O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championships May 11, 2024 - 10:00am-6:00pm

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Live Music by Kathleen Turner Overdrive begins at 10:00am!
Punniest of Show Competition

  • Date: Saturday, May 11, 2024, 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.

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PunSlingers Competition

  • Date: Saturday, May 11, 2024, 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!

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And there's more!

  • Live Music by the band Kathleen Turner Overdrive starting at 10:00 am.

  • Auction - bid on unique, valuable items from 10:00am-4:00pm.

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

    • Date: Friday, May 10, 2024, 6 - 9 pm

    • Place: Brush Square Courtyard (beside O. Henry Museum)

    • Contestant games & pun practice rounds. Punster of the Year Award.

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