The greatest trick Shrekfest ever pulled was convincing the world it didn’t exist.
Actually, for the most part, it didn’t exist. As we reported last week, Shrekfest was a hoax festival started by Joe Copeland, who was bored at work and thought the idea of a Madison festival devoted to the movie “Shrek” would be funny.
He started a Facebook page for the fake event, and over 300 followers said they would attend, posting videos and talking about their plans to attend. Whether they were serious or not is debatable, but Copeland had no intention of actually having a Shrekfest.
Then the plot thickened – and turned green. Now Shrekfest is real, according to a local comedy group that has picked up the slime-covered baton.
Members of the Madison comedy group 3GI say they will actually hold a Shrekfest at Demetral Park on Saturday, July 26, from 4 to 10 p.m. All of the activities promised in the original Shrekfest, including a Shrek imitation contest and an onion-peeling contest, will be happening, they say. There will also be Shrek-themed food and a screening of the original Oscar-winning film.
It must be real, because they’ve made a YouTube video announcing it.
The members of 3Gi said they were thrilled at the idea of a Shrekfest, then disappointed to learn it wasn’t real.
“I think because when you hear about something so ridiculous you get excited,” Kayla Bruss said. “You’re like ‘Aw man I can’t wait to go around a bunch of people who think this thing is awesome like I do.’
“And then it’s taken away and you’re bored in Wisconsin again.”
But that’s when the 3GI members realized that if their dream of a festival devoted to DreamWorks Animation’s most enduring character was ever going to come true, they would have to make it so.
“It was the best possible thing to happen to us; an insane event with followers, but no leader,” Grant Duffrin said. “ That’s when we . . 'Hey now, got our game on!’”
“Somebody had to lead us to the onion patch,” Taylor Campbell said. “I’m just hoping a lot of people decide to head ogre to the park and have a good time.”
3GI has gotten a permit from the Madison Parks Department to hold the event, so no alcohol is allowed, although there will be a Shrek Pub Crawl later that night.
And, of course, no other Shrekless behavior will be permitted.
