Are You Marching In This Year’s Mermaid Parade?

It’s time to start planning for the annual Mermaid Parade held on Coney Island every year on the first Saturday after the summer solstice.  Part New Orleans revelry, part old time burlesque, and the rest simply an excuse to cut loose, the cavalcade usually attracts over 100,000 spectators to Brooklyn’s streets.

Coney Island Mermaid Parade

This year, the nation’s largest art parade, celebrating the beginning of summer with sand, sea, salt air, and a bit of nudity falls on June 19th paying homage to Coney Island‘s own Mardi Gras which lasted from 1903 to 1954.  Regardless of the weather, mermaids of all shapes and sizes, floats, various sea creatures, the occasional wandering lighthouse, and classic cars crowd the streets.

A different celebrity King Neptune and Queen Mermaid (this year, Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson) opens the festivities by marching down the beach from the boardwalk cutting through ribbons representing the seasons. They then toss fruit into the Atlantic appeasing the sea gods. The Parade is followed by the Mermaid Parade Ball, a post-parade party where costumed participants mix and mingle with the spectators, revel in live music, and watch sideshow acts performed by some of New York City’s hottest burlesque stars. The best thing is that anybody can march as long as they register in advance.

By subway:  Take the D, F, or Q train to the Coney Island Stillwell Ave. station.  Parade steps off at West 21st Street and Surf Ave..  The 8th Annual Mermaid Parade Ball, the official after-party will take place at The New York Aquarium (Oceanic Deck), Surf Ave. & West 8th Street, 6pm-11:30pm (21 and over only).

photo courtesy of coneyislandusa.com