NEW YORK — After bringing out droves of doppelgangers for Adam Sandler, Jeremy Allen White and Timothée Chalamet, New York City has proven to be the right destination for celebrity look-alike contests.

Next up, the city is seeking doubles for Pee-wee Herman, the pop culture character created and portrayed by the late comedian Paul Reubens.

This coming Sunday, Coney Island will host its first-ever competition honoring Reubens, his beloved alter ego and the 40th anniversary of the blockbuster movie “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.”

Of course, the event will be searching for those who can best pull off the dandy likeness of the 1980s character who adorned a slim gray suit and red bow tie. But there will also be categories for those who want to dress up as their favorite character from “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” or any from the Pee-wee universe — which included dozens of films and the HBO special “The Pee-wee Herman Show.”

“Amazing” prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third place in each category.

“Pee-wee Herman’s body of work has left an indelible mark on American popular culture,” said Adam “RealMan” Rinn, the artistic director of Coney Island USA, which is producing the contest. “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?”

The cosplay contest was inspired in large part by local burlesque performer Little Brooklyn, who attended this year’s Mermaid Parade with a group called “The Pee-wee Mermen,” who dressed as “naughty, nautical versions” of Pee-wee and his gang of buddies, like Captain Carl and Large Marge.

Rinn and Little Brooklyn will serve as judges for the contest, which will kick off on West 12th Street near the corner of Surf Avenue at 1 p.m.

Free registration starts at noon and is open to everyone at the Freak Bar inside Coney Island USA at 1208 Surf Ave.

Reubens died in 2023 at the age of 70 after a private cancer battle. The Peekskill, New York, native is the subject of the recent HBO documentary “Pee-wee as Himself,” which was nominated for five 2025 Emmy Awards.

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