Coney Island will host a Pee-wee Herman look-alike contest to celebrate 40 years of his Big Adventure

Grab your gray suit, polish up that red bow tie and practice your best “I know you are, but what am I?”—because Coney Island is throwing a Pee-wee party for the ages. On Sunday, August 24, the boardwalk’s resident arts hub Coney Island USA will stage its first-ever Pee-wee Herman Look-Alike Contest, honoring the late Paul Reubens, his beloved alter ego and the 40th anniversary of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.

The event promises all the spectacle you’d expect from the nonprofit that invented the Mermaid Parade. “Pee-wee Herman's body of work has left an indelible mark on American popular culture,” said Adam Rinn, Coney Island USA’s artistic director and the contest’s co-host. “Our non-profit arts organization created the Mermaid Parade, so why not have a day where we can celebrate the colorful characters that Paul Reubens created?”

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Contestants won’t be limited to Pee-wee’s childlike persona. Registration categories include Best Pee-wee Herman, Pee-wee’s Playhouse and Pee-wee Movie Character, meaning you could show up as Miss Yvonne, Cowboy Curtis, Jambi, Large Marge or any of the wonderfully weird characters from Reubens’ universe. “Coney Island is all about fun and spectacle,” said burlesque performer Little Brooklyn, who will co-produce and co-host. “We can't wait to see how creative the people of New York City and beyond are going to get.”

Registration begins at noon inside the Freak Bar, with the competition itself kicking off at 1pm on West 12th Street, right outside Coney Island USA’s landmarked building at 1208 Surf Avenue. Expect amazing Coney-themed prizes, loud costumes and probably more than one awkward Pee-wee dance.

The whole affair is free, so there’s no excuse not to swing by the seaside, cheer on your favorite Playhouse doppelgänger and maybe channel your own inner Pee-wee. After all, it’s not every day you get to celebrate one of America’s most delightfully strange comic creations in the place that knows spectacle best.