Free outdoor movies are a summer thing, and by the third week of September there are almost none left - this is one of the last of the year, in the middle of Manhattan, on a plaza most people cross without ever sitting down in. Shrek is twenty-five years old and holds up better than most of what it was parodying, and a crowd that grew up with it reliably talks back to the screen. Bring a blanket and it costs nothing.
What to expect
An open-air screen set up on the paved North Plaza by the pavilion steps at the park's 17th Street end, with the audience spread across the plaza on blankets and low chairs. Expect ambient Union Square noise under the film, a crowd that skews adult-nostalgic rather than small-children, and no reserved seating of any kind.
Good to know
- The North Plaza is the pavilion end of the park at 17th Street, not the Broadway steps where the Greenmarket sets up
- Union Square is one of the best-served stations in the city - 4/5/6, N/Q/R/W and L all stop there
- The plaza is paved rather than grass, so a blanket alone is thin; a folding seat pad is better
- There is no rain date for these screenings, so check the NYC Parks listing before you travel if the forecast is unsettled
- Food is easy here - the surrounding blocks are wall-to-wall takeout - but there are no concessions on the plaza itself
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Common questions
Do I need a ticket or to register?
No. Movies Under the Stars screenings are free and open to the public with no ticket required, though NYC Parks sometimes offers optional registration.
What happens if it rains?
NYC Parks screenings do not have rain dates. Check the event listing on nycgovparks.org the day of before you travel.
Is there seating provided?
No. Bring a blanket, a seat pad or a low folding chair; the North Plaza is a paved surface.
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