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‘Elf’ 20th Anniversary Celebration to Kick Off at the Empire State Building Next Week

‘Elf’ 20th Anniversary Celebration to Kick Off at the Empire State Building Next Week

New York, New York is pulling out all the stops in an effort to celebrate ELF’s 20th anniversary this month.

The 2003 Yuletide cult classic follows the tale of an orphaned baby named Buddy who stows away in Santa’s magical bag of gifts for one year. A childless Elf raises him as his own in the North Pole, and Buddy assumes he, too is an ELF. When it’s obvious that the poor, giant man, played by Will Farrel, can’t continue to live as one of Santa’s tiny helpers, Buddy’s adoptive dad tells him that he’s a human and his biological father is living in New York City. So Buddy naively heads out on an adventure to meet his family.

The movie is filled with several iconic Manhattan-based scenes. So the filmmakers decided it would be fitting to light up the city on Nov. 7—20 years to the day of ELF’s original release. The Empire State Building will glow in green and yellow, the colors of Buddy’s workshop attire, for one day only. To add to the celebration, fans will also be able to visit a pop-up cart near the famous landmark. It will sell the elves four main food groups—candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup—from 2 pm to 5 pm.

Elf to Hit Theaters For a Country-Wide Re-Release

While the main party will end that night, Buddy the Elf merchandise will fill the Empire State Building’s Fifth Avenue Lobby windows through January 1st. On Nov. 10, fans will also have a chance to take selfies with a life-sized Buddy, who will be hanging out on the 86th floor Observatory. And on Dec. 3, 10, and 17, there will be movie screenings on the 80th floor with complimentary food and drinks.

But the fun extends to fans living outside the city, too. On Nov. 17, the movie will hit theaters for a special country-wide re-release. If you’d rather stay home and cozy by the fire, Elf will also be streaming on Max and playing on TBS and TNT all month.

If you live in New York City or plan to visit for the holidays, you can learn more about the special event on the Empire State Building’s website. You can also purchase screening tickets for an all-inclusive price of $135 here.