Take note, dad joke enthusiasts: The pun comedy competition "It's Always Punny in Philadelphia" returns this month.
Tickets are available for the fifth iteration of Philly's pun contest, which is hosted by Helium Comedy Club in Center City. The punning frenzy is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 17.
RELATED: A 'Shrek Rave' will take place at the Theatre of Living Arts in February
While competitor sign-ups are full for the upcoming February competition, aspiring punners can still enter their information to express their general interest.
"It's Always Punny in Philadelphia" has a three-round structure. "Pundits" has competing comedians perform pun-filled routines; "Headlines" has competitors read madcap news stories and come up with funny headlines; and "Pundemonium" gives contestants a prompt from a hat and pits them against each other in a pun-off. Winners of "Pundits" and "Pundemonium" receive a cash prize and a T-shirt.
"It's really nerdy," Aaron Schwartzbaum, comedian and founder of "It's Always Punny in Philadelphia," said. He moved to Philly in the summer of 2022 and was surprised the city lacked an underground pun scene similar to ones in which he competed, including New York City's "Punderdome" and Washington, D.C.'s "Pun DMV."
Schwartzbaum took matters into his own hands and teamed with Helium Comedy Club. "It was a fun challenge to build a scene in Philly," said Schwartzbaum, who emcees the competitions and warms up the crowd.
Helium Comedy Club has now hosted four "It's Always Punny" competitions. Schwartzbaum also has spun off the concept as "South Street Pun-Off" at Tattooed Mom.
Though Philly's pun scene is new, Schwartzbaum has begun noticing regulars. One is Cindy Heffron, who won the last competition's "Pundits" segment with a raunchy routine on pregnancy.
"I was supposed to meet my friend Jackie at a garden center yesterday, but by the time she finally arrived, I looked at my watch and said, 'ee Jack, you late!'" began Heffron in a set that garnered both laughs and gasps.
For longtime stand-up comedians, adjusting to the pun-based format might be a challenge. "Sometimes comedians have great stage presence but can’t come up with puns on the fly," Schwartzbaum said.
Needless to say, the event is quite a pun-dertaking.