Start practicing your roar because Shrekfest is coming back to Milwaukee this summer. Yes, after an orge-whelmingly great response in 2022, the “celebration of self-love and counterculture” that’s largely based around the Shrek film franchise will return to Humboldt Park on Saturday, September 2.
If you’ve been living alone in a bog and you’re unfamiliar with Shrekfest, the event was founded by an online comedy company called 3GI way back in 2014 and was hosted at Warner Park on Madison’s north side through 2021. After a few fruitful (well, onion-full) years of off-kilter fun in the state’s capital city, organizers decided to move the event to Milwaukee last year. The 2022 installment brought an estimated 3,000 attendees to the Bay View park for a day of Shrek-focused festivities.
So what can you expect to experience at this year’s Shrekfest? Well, if it’s anything like previous editions, you’re sure to encounter a lot of creative cosplay—both Shrek-based and otherwise—as well as Smash Mouth karaoke, contests (including a “Shrek roar” contest, a costume contest, and an onion-eating contest), an arts and crafts area, and a screening of the iconic 2001 film.
Shrekfest officially kicks off at 12 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m. It’s free to attend and people of all ages are welcome. More information on the festival will be released soon. If any of this sounds appealing to you, make sure to get to Humboldt Park on Saturday, September 2. Donkey!
