2018 Update: New York Spelling Bee at Caveat - Get Tix Today!

That's right folks, the Bee is back! The famed Williamsburg Spelling Bee is now the New York City Spelling Bee (and no longer in Williamsburg - check out the awesome new location Caveat).

This is a real adult spelling bee, with words ranging from easy (rhinoceros) to challenging (kakistocracy) to devilish (aebleskive, anyone?)

The same rules apply; the bee is structured in a kinder and gentler three-strikes-you’re-out format, with ample beer breaks to lessen the pressure and increase the fun. 

The event will be hosted by Bobby Blue and Jen Dziura 

Feb 13, 2018
Location: Caveat - New York’s newest speakeasy stage for playful, intelligent nightlife.
21 A Clinton St
Doors: 7:00
Bee: 7:30

Tickets: $15 to spell (limited tickets available, get them quick) $7 to watch

Here's the buzz: 

"A mix of irony seekers and hardcore spelling nerds." - TimeOut New York

"...the bar game of choice for self-proclaimed geeks and well-groomed lovers of logorrhea."- The Village Voice

"...go for the cold drinks and the inevitable laughs derived from watching a person who is tipsy try to spell trichotillomania."
- The New York Times



Bobby Blue and Jen Dziura began hosting the Williamsburg Spelling Bee in 2004, and quickly made the pages of the New York Times, the airwaves of NPR, and the dreams come true of frustrated adults with fond spelling bee memories. 

In their non-spelling time, Bobby is a musician and Jen’s company produces a feminist career conference and sells snarky feminist gift items.

Get Your Tickets Here!

Bobby and Jen Are Available for Private Parties and Company Events

New York's original adult spelling bee is now available for your company or event! 

The Williamsburg Spelling Bee burst into New York's independent arts scene in 2004, offering a fun, nostalgic, unexpected barroom diversion. You can now bring the entertainment to an event at home or in office! 

Hosts bobbyblue and Jen Dziura (a singer and a comedian/Mensa member, respectively), pioneered the kinder and gentler three-strikes-you're-out format that's more friendly to a variety of participants. 

The use of cheeky icebreaker questions, an original theme song, and a bantering hosting style that make the show entertaining for contestants as well as spectators. Guests will enjoy an evening of laughs, games and more.

Over the last 12+ years, bobby and Jen have hosted well over 100 spelling bees, including 60+ person fundraising events.

The duo is available for your corporate and private events and fundraisers -- you supply the audience; they'll bring the words, the expertise, and the guaranteed nerdy-good time.

"A mix of irony seekers and hardcore spelling nerds." - TimeOut New York

"...the bar game of choice for self-proclaimed geeks and well-groomed lovers of logorrhea."- The Village Voice

"...go for the cold drinks and the inevitable laughs derived from watching a person who is tipsy try to spell trichotillomania."

- The New York Times

Schedule your Private Event here. 

The Williamsburg Spelling Bee is Coming to an End

Last two bees! Ever!

We are old and venerable.

-Jen

Monday, March 7th, 2016
7:30pm

Second to last chance to Spell your heart out!! Two dates left.

The Williamsburg Spelling Bee will be crowning its last winner on April 4th! After an amazing 12 year run, hosts Bobby Blue and Jennifer Dziura are hanging up their Scripps Howard vocabulary binders. Many a NYC speller will be sad to hear about this, as scores of them have vied at Pete’s Candy Store over more than a decade to reclaim their grade school glory. The roll call of winners and runners up reads like a veritable who’s who of the great spellers of New York.

Monday, April 4th, 2016
GRAND FINALE
7pm – starting early because we're adding a little party action!

The Williamsburg Spelling Bee will be crowning its last winner on Monday, April 4th! After an amazing 12 year run, hosts Bobby Blue and Jennifer Dziura are hanging up their Scripps Howard vocabulary binders. Many a NYC speller will be sad to hear about this, as scores of them have vied at Pete’s Candy Store over more than a decade to reclaim their grade school glory. The roll call of winners and runners up reads like a veritable who’s who of the great spellers of New York. Sad as it is, this will be one very festive send off, with Cake, a spelling Cocktail Special, Prizes, songs by Bobby and Jen, and party music by Yazan at 9:30.

November Winners

#winner #williamsburg #WilliamsburgBee #WilliamsburgSpellingBee #Spelling #SpellingBee #AdultSpellingBee #Words #1stPlace #Brooklyn #NYC #PetesCandyStore

A photo posted by bobby blue (@thebobbyblue) on Nov 2, 2015 at 6:19pm PST

1st Place: Lulu Hutton
2nd Place: Ben Kusmin
3rd Place: Mahmoud Rasheed

See you December 7th at the Finals!

October 2015 Spelling Bee Winners

#WilliamsburgBee #WilliamsburgSpellingBee #Spelling #adultspellingbee #Words #Brooklyn #Williamsburg #Winners

A photo posted by bobby blue (@thebobbyblue) on Oct 5, 2015 at 6:19pm PDT

1st Place: Ivan Baines
2nd Place: Doug Given
3rd Place: Lulu Hutton

All three winners will go on to compete in the December Finals! Check the #williamsburgbee and #williamsburgspellingbee hashtags for more pics. (Bobby is also the only person on Instagram using the hashtags #Bidialectalist, #Staphylococcic, #Debabelization, #Microphthalmic, #Ejectamenta, etc.)

Labor Day Spelling Bee Winners

Congratulations to...

1. Robert Moy
2. Jane Huang
3. Jenny Brown

See you in October! Only two more bees before the Finals!

#williamsburgbee on Twitter and Instagram

Search "Williamsburg Spelling Bee" or #williamsburgbee to follow the bee on social.

We had just concluded the Williamsburg Spelling Bee when Julia, one of the contestants, came up to… https://t.co/nWfljYXvQl

— jendziura (@jendziura) August 4, 2015

Went to the Williamsburg Spelling Bee tonight. I did NOT redeem my middle school spelling bee loss but it was a good time.

— Abu-Talia-THOT (@tkimam3) July 7, 2015

That time I was super happy to win 3rd place at the Williamsburg Spelling Bee 😝 #tbt http://t.co/YbuQLUJR50

— Octavia Silva (@wakimedia) January 29, 2015

Have you heard #williamsburgbee theme song by bobby blue & @jendziura on #SoundCloud? https://t.co/gPw8KqPBXe

— jendziura (@jendziura) October 11, 2014

July Spelling Bee Winners

Congratulations to...

1. David Riddle
2. Cole Entress
3. Claire Dunnington

All three winners qualify for the December Finals!

Bee founder bobbyblue couldn't make it this month. Thanks to previous winner Marcus Bones for stepping in as scorekeeper.

See you Monday, August 3rd!

Jen

The Spelling Bee-Yoncé in the Wall Street Journal

Congratulations to David, Cole, and Claire, winners of July 6th's Spelling Bee-Yoncé, also covered in the Wall Street Journal:

Read the entire piece here.

David, Cole, and Claire will be back for the December Finals!

June winners!

At the Williamsburg Spelling Bee! I'm scared!

— Ellen Jovin (@EllenJovin) June 1, 2015

Turned out okay, though...

1st Place: Kareem Estefan
2nd Place: Juliet Helmke
3rd Place: Ellen Jovin

 All three winners go to the Finals!

May 4 Winners

1st Place: Dave!

Tied for 2nd Place: Malikah and Nora!

All three of these lovely winners will be competing in the Finals!

A reminder: The bee is ages 21+, because it takes place in a bar. Thank you. \

See you next month!

March 2 Spelling Bee Winners

Congratulations to 1st place Michaela Kron and 2nd place Sean Bono!

See you again in April.

February 2, 2015 Winners

We're back for the 2015 season!

Due to the freezing slush blanketing our fair borough, the crowd was small, but the spelling was on-point. Also, Jen brought her baby.

Congratulations to winner Marcus Bones. Note that our rules prohibit anyone from winning more than one monthly bee per year, so from March to November, you don't have to compete against Marcus, our 2014 annual winner. (Until the 2015 Finals, that is!)

Congratulations also to second place David Henry Haan and third place Norman Perlmutter. All three winners are qualified for the Finals in December!

Memorable words this bee: cinereal, bantling, tangemon.

Join Us in 2015

It's been a year!

After hosting the Finals this past December, Bobby and I hosted a spelling bee for Chopard's holiday party. I threw in as many French words as I could.

We'll be returning to Pete's in February.

Feb 2
March 2
April 6
May 4
June 1
July 6
August 3
September 7
October 5
November 2

December 7 FINALS

As always, signup at 7, bee at 7:30. Free (21+). First 18 signups get to spell.

Congratulations to Marcus Bones, Winner of the 2014 Williamsburg Spelling Bee Finals

1st Place: Marcus Bones
2nd Place: David Riddle
3rd Place: Ben Kusmin

Congratulations to our winners!

See more photos here.

We begin again in February, 2015.

Monday, October 6th: 10th Anniversary Spelling Bee

We're celebrating with a cake, the theme song, instituting a new hashtag (#williamsburgbee), and, of course, a spelling bee.

Here is some video coverage from the last ten years.

See you at 7!

 







Also follow @jendziura and @petescandystore on Twitter and Williamsburg Spelling Bee on Facebook for updates.

Congratulations to September 1st Winners!

1st: David Riddle
2nd: Lilly
3rd: Jenny Brown

We had a fun first round on homophones -- spellers were asked to spell gild (not guild), faro (not pharaoh), flue (not flu), etc.

And then there was this:

See you for our next bee on October 6th.

Congratulations to July 7th Winners

1st: Kirsten Sabotnik
2nd: Ally Spier
3rd: Bobby Zacharias

Congratulations! See you all on August 4th!

Congratulations to our May 5th Winners

1st place: Marcus
2nd place: Drew
3rd place: Kali

More photos here. Join us again on June 2nd! Open to first 15 people to sign up. Free.

Congratulations to 2013 Winner Robert Moy!

Congratulations to Robert Moy, winner of 2013's annual Finals!

The bee will return in May, 2014!

Follow us on Facebook for more frequent updates.