Union Square Park is about to get a lot swampier tonight, as a Shrek look-alike contest and a free outdoor screening of the 2001 animated classic take over the park's North Plaza. Swampy festivities kick off at 7:30 pm on the pavilion steps, with the movie itself rolling from 8:15 pm to 10:45 pm, free and open to anyone who shows up.
The gathering is the latest stop on NYC Parks' Movies Under the Stars series, presented alongside the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, according to Time Out. This year's lineup has grown into a citywide showcase, with NYC Parks and the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment announcing more than 300 free outdoor screenings across all five boroughs from spring through fall. The program traces back to August 2015, when NYC Parks first teamed up with the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment to bring 150 free screenings to neighborhood parks as a way of thanking communities that host film and television productions.
What the Contest Actually Requires
Not just anyone can compete for ogre supremacy. Per the outlet's report, the Shrek look-alike contest is open only to contestants dressed as Shrek himself, and eligibility rules limit competition to Shrek look-alikes specifically — bring your best Shrek face, organizers say. Attendees who aren't gunning for the crown can still show up dressed as any character from the film, from Donkey to Fiona to Lord Farquaad.
The film being screened follows the now-iconic story of an ogre whose peaceful swamp is overrun by displaced fairy-tale characters, forcing him to strike a deal with Lord Farquaad to reclaim his home. The movie's cultural weight is hard to overstate: released in May 2001, Shrek made Academy Award history in March 2002 by winning the inaugural Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 74th Academy Awards, a category the Academy created specifically to recognize full-length animated films. The franchise isn't just nostalgia, either — DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures have confirmed that Shrek 5, bringing back original voice stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz alongside newcomer Zendaya, is set for theatrical release on June 30, 2027, more than 25 years after the original hit theaters.
A Landmark Park With a History of Big Crowds
Union Square Park itself is no stranger to hosting large public gatherings. The park earned U.S. National Historic Landmark status in 1997, and has served as one of Manhattan's primary public gathering spaces since the 1830s, including as the site of the nation's first Labor Day parade in September 1882. The North Pavilion and North Plaza, where tonight's swampy festivities are centered, underwent a $19 million historic restoration completed in September 2010 that expanded the 1930s colonnaded building and added accessible stairs and event space.
Tonight's costume contest also fits into a broader recent trend of fan-driven look-alike gatherings taking over New York City's public spaces. A viral Timothée Chalamet look-alike contest in Washington Square Park in October 2024 drew thousands of fans and even a surprise appearance from Chalamet himself, sparking an international wave of pop-up look-alike competitions in major cities — that 2024 gathering grew large enough that police eventually dispersed the crowd before it moved to a nearby park. Just two weeks ago, hundreds of fans in khakis and Richmond kits gathered outside Apple's Fifth Avenue store for a Ted Lasso look-alike contest, showing the trend still has plenty of momentum in Manhattan.
Weather and Registration Details
The event is weather-dependent, and NYC Parks will announce a cancellation before the screening if heavy rain or extreme weather rolls in, Time Out reports. Attendees can register through NYC Parks ahead of time, and organizers recommend bringing a blanket or something else suitable for sprawling out on the grass. Shrek's meme-fueled staying power isn't limited to municipal screenings, either — the viral Shrek Rave phenomenon, which began in Los Angeles in March 2022 as a charity fundraiser created by content creator Ka5sh, has since grown into a nationwide touring dance party built entirely around the 2001 film's internet meme status.
New York isn't the only city pairing free outdoor movies with costume competitions this way. San Francisco launched its own Union Square screening series in July 2025, complete with a Mrs. Doubtfire look-alike contest as part of a downtown revitalization push, showing how cities on both coasts are leaning on nostalgic film screenings and interactive fan events to draw crowds back into public squares. Whether Manhattan's version stays as orderly as organizers hope remains to be seen once the ogres start arriving tonight.
