Bad Bunny contest seeks look-alikes for party in Patchogue

Bad Bunny’s La Casita stage setup is island hopping from Puerto Rico to Long Island, specifically Patchogue, where the organizers of a pop-up event will reward the partygoer who looks the most like the Grammy-winning artist.

The La Casita party that nightlife organizer Quiero Party NY hosted on Thanksgiving eve will return to Stereo Garden on Railroad Avenue on Saturday night. In addition to the dancing and drinking that occurred at the venue, in which organizers erected a wooden replica of the "little house," partygoers can style themselves after the singer for a chance to win a $300 cash prize.

The winner will be determined by the crowd’s cheers and applause, Quiero Party co-owner Steven Latuma told Newsday.

"We plan to walk around, scout out the top 10 we think have the best creativity," Latuma, 27, of Patchogue, said. "We’ll bring them up on stage, have a contest and let the people decide."

The first La Casita party in Patchogue offered Long Islanders a local spin on Bad Bunny’s recent world tour, which included a 31-day residency in his native Puerto Rico, but no dates in the U.S. mainland. The singer, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, also used his "little house" stage for his Super Bowl LX Halftime performance.

"A lot of us maybe couldn’t afford to go to Puerto Rico, to the concert itself to experience it," Latuma said. "This is just a way for us to try and bring that fun to the town."

Latuma said attendees can expect not just Bad Bunny’s music, but "a Puerto Rican experience, a little bit of merengue, bachata, salsa."

The idea for the doppelganger contest was born out of another event Latuma said he hosted — a Bad Bunny vs. Drake night — at which a Drake look-alike appeared. He also was inspired by a Bad Bunny look-alike contest he heard about in the Bronx.

"I honestly think people are just trying to find new stuff to be and take part in different fun stuff," Latuma said of the popularity of celeb look-alike contests. "I think it's a new activity to include in events. ... Once we added the look-alike [this year], it almost took over the whole idea. It’s almost a look-alike party now."

Bronx contest winner

Justin Conillas won the $500 top prize awarded during the Bad Bunny look-alike contest held at Roberto Clemente Plaza on March 14. He told Newsday that after a woman on a checkout line told him he looked just like the famous singer she saw during the Super Bowl, he was simply waiting for the opportunity to prove her right. Gatherings of folks who resemble Timothée Chalamet, Jeremy Allen White and other celebrities have gained traction in recent years, and Conillas felt Bad Bunny was the next star to draw look-alike fans, especially after his televised performance. The singer also made history a week before the Super Bowl when his "DeBí Tirar Más Fotos," became the first Spanish-language album to win the Grammy’s top prize, Album of the Year.

"He’s one of the biggest superstars worldwide," Conillas, 24, of Paterson, New Jersey, said. "He’s such an empowering figure in the Latin community. ... His aura, his confidence, it radiates so much. He has been an influence on my fashion."

Conillas normally styles his facial hair similar to Bad Bunny’s, so he simply scrolled through social media to find an outfit that could work, he said. After settling on a slightly cropped yellow jersey atop a white long-sleeved tee and jeans, he also learned to mimic some of Bad Bunny's dance moves to claim his victory.

He said these contests had become popular because people enjoyed "getting recognized ... as looking like a celebrity," just as he did before winning one himself.

"It’s a pleasure when people say you look like Cardi B or you look like Miley Cyrus." Conillas added. "People love that."