49th Annual O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championships

 49th Annual O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championships

Saturday, May 9, 2026
10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

WORDSMITHS TO PUN FOR GOLD AT 49th ANNUAL O. HENRY MUSEUM PUN-OFF

The City of Austin’s O. Henry Museum, in collaboration with the Brush Square Museums Foundation, presents the 49th Annual O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championships. The event will take place on May 9, 2026 from 10:00am-6:00 pm at Brush Square Park, behind the O. Henry Museum at 409 E. 5th Street in Austin, TX. The event is free to the public and no ticket is required for admission. Additional details about the event can be found on the event’s official Facebook event page or website, www.punoff.com.

As one of Austin’s oldest “weird” events, the O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championships is an internationally renowned spoken word competition focused on the art of the pun. For 49 years, punsters have gathered in Austin, TX for a battle of wit and wordplay in honor of famous wordsmith and short story writer, William Sydney Porter, better known as O. Henry. In the 1890s, Porter and his family lived in the Queen Anne-style cottage on 5th Street that now houses the O. Henry Museum, which is free and open to the public 12pm-5pm, Weds.-Sun.

The Pun-Off features two separate live contests: Punniest of Show and Punslingers - contestants may enter either or both contests. In addition to the competitions, the event includes live music by Kathleen Turner Overdrive, a silent auction, shaved ice, and t-shirt sales to benefit the O. Henry Museum. Street parking is limited, but many public parking garages are located near Brush Square. Brush Square Museums will validate parking for up to 2 hours at the Austin Convention Center parking garage at 601 East 5th St. This is a family-friendly outdoor event. Please bring blankets, lawn chairs, coolers, and snacks!

The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. For assistance please contact (512) 974-3917 or Relay Texas 7-1-1. For more information or to request a language interpreter, please call Austin 3-1-1 or 512-974-2000.