An annual ritual for New Yorkers started yesterday as hundreds flocked to Central Park to wait hours for free tickets to Shakespeare in the Park.

The line started at 5:10 a.m., when Luis Reyes arrived nearly 8 hours before the box office opened to sell tickets to “Romeo and Juliet,” which opened last night and will run through July 1.

Like many, Mr. Reyes, who confessed that he had called in sick to work, spread out a small blanket outside the Delacorte Theater. Many brought sleeping bags, yoga mats, and lawn chairs to make life on line more comfortable. Others came prepared with thermoses and snacks as if they were tailgating at a football game or rock concert.

One person in line, Paula Kim, ordered food from a nearby deli and had it delivered to her.

Tickets to Shakespeare in the Park, which runs through September 9, are a coveted item, but require someone to stand in line on the day of the performance. While that might seem a tricky feat for New Yorkers with tight schedules, there is never a shortage of people who figure out a way.

One stay-at-home mom, Alecia Hadden, organized a group of about a dozen other mothers, who all brought their children to stand in line. Ms. Hadden ensured that waiting in line was a fun social event with the reward of free tickets at the end. It has become “the highlight of the summer,” she said.

Another regular, Ted Dalbotten, has been coming to Shakespeare in the Park since the Public Theater staged its first production at the Delacorte Theater in 1962. Mr. Dalbotten arrived at 5:15 a.m. yesterday to get a good spot in the general public line, as opposed to a separate, significantly shorter line for senior citizens, because he likes to have a good view of the performance.

The press manager of the Public Theater, Sam Neuman, said it is usually easier to get tickets before the reviews come out. However, he said there is no definitive way of knowing how the long the lines will be on any given day.

“It’s just one of those fun little New York things you can’t predict,” he said. “The only thing that’s constant is that we’re giving the tickets away for free, and it’s filled every night.”

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will begin on August 7 and run through September 9.