Cue glitter, fins and tails and get ready for the 37th annual celebration of all things naughty and nautical!
Since 1983 the Coney Island Mermaid Parade has been a cultural hit and consistently is one of Brooklyn’s biggest attractions. Last year it turned out a record number of attendees with 830,000 people present, and we imagine the number will be similar again this year. The parade will kick off on Saturday, June 22, at 1 p.m. on West 21st Street and Surf Avenue.
There is a registration fee to be part of the parade route, but everyone is welcome to come watch for free. There’s even an antique car route (which can be seen best from Surf Avenue). As the Mermaid Parade website states, the event was founded with 3 goals in mind:
“It brings mythology to life for local residents who live on streets named Mermaid and Neptune ; it creates self-esteem in a district that is often disregarded as “entertainment”; and it lets artistic New Yorkers find self-expression in public.”
The Mermaid Parade is a holiday invented by artists as “an American version of the summer solstice celebration.” The parade route is as follows:
- The Parade will start at West 21st Street and Surf Avenue
- The Parade will roll east to West 10th Street
- At West 10th Street the Parade will turn south towards the boardwalk
- Cars and Motorized Floats continue down Surf Ave. passing W. 10th Street and exit the parade.
- At the Boardwalk, the marchers and push-pull floats will turn west and head towards West 17th St.
- At Steeplechase Plaza, the Parade will disband.
After the parade is over there will be an official Beach Ceremony where everyone is invited to go for a swim! And whether you’re participating or just watching, all are encouraged to come decked out in your most sparkly sea-inspired outfit. For all the FAQ head to Coney Island Mermaid Parade.
Featured image:Rhododendrites [CC BY-SA 4.0], Wikimedia Commons
Also published on Medium.