Tchoupitoulas is famously difficult to spell, but it isn’t the only New Orleans street name that trips people up. In fact, it’s relatively straightforward when one considers the myriad ways in which the pronunciations and spellings of local street names often fail to match.

This phenomenon is why Second Line Brewing has teamed up with the New Orleans Public Library to host the NOLA Street Names Spelling Bee. Slated for Friday, June 23, the event will bring an assortment of competitors to the Mid City brewery, which is located at 433 N. Bernadotte St (better watch out for that one on Friday). But don’t let the beer-assisted fun fool you, this gathering is actually a part of the library’s 2017 adult summer reading program.

“The nation-wide theme for summer reading this year is ‘Build a Better World’,” said library associate Camille Black. “We thought a great way to build a better world would be to bring New Orleans’ residents together through the unique experiences that make us similar, not different. Whether new to the city or born and bred, we can all relate to the struggle of whether you pronounce Terpsichore as ‘terp-sik-kore’ or ‘terp-sik-or-ee.’ Our street names are one of many characteristics that make this city so special. If you’re going to get there, you’d better know how to spell it.”

“In my opinion this event is great because street names very rarely in our city are street names pronounced how they are spelled,” Black added. “This can be attributed to our rich cultural heritage. At NOPL one of our goals is to preserve and celebrate the culture of New Orleans. As far as holding the event at Second Line Brewing, at the library we think it is important to develop partnerships with locally owned businesses and showcase what our city has to offer.”

The NOLA Street Names Spelling Bee is scheduled to kick off at 6pm. Admission is free and open to the public.