The Mermaid Parade and summer solstice in Coney Island
Kick off the summer with Queen Latifah!
Coney Island, in Brooklyn, NY hosts the Mermaid Parade each year in June, celebrating the summer solstice with grand style. It is an “art parade” that allows participants to express themselves publicly in hand-made costumes that reflect the theme of that year.
Dick Zigun, producer, leads the parade every year with his iconic drum.
The King and Queen of the parade preside over the judging and perform the ceremony on the beach to usher in summer. Coney Island crowns a new Royal Couple each year. In the past, Queen Latifah, Harvey Keitel, Moby, and Annabella Sciorra sat on the thrones. (See the complete list here.) If you have never been to the parade, I highly recommend it! But get there early to find parking, or avoid the hassle altogether and make use of mass transit.
Believe it or not, I never heard of the Mermaid Parade even though I spent most of my adult life a stone’s throw away from Brooklyn, NY. You have several options on parade day. Participate and flaunt your artistic side, watch the parade from the sidelines, volunteer, or play paparazzi for a day and get “backstage” access before the parade begins. This pass gives you access to everyone in the staging area as they await the start of the festivities. This is the best way to get really cool and candid photos. Mermaid Parade participants are generally extroverts and love the fan-fare. Just ask, and they will be happy to pose for you!
Can you remain impartial?
Kat judges the Mermaid Parade
The coveted T-shirt
Unlike most parades, you can even be a judge! This is a unique position to be in. You sit with the King and Queen of the parade in the judges’ stands, you get the coveted “judge” T-shirt (the design changes every year), you have your own dedicated portable bathrooms, and you have the best seat in the house to view the parade. The judges’ stands are covered, so no rain-soaked shirts or sunburned faces.
Each participant competes in a set category…and they often bribe the judges to curry favor. Anything goes…but judges tend to be hungry and thirsty. The year I judged, the bribes were really good…cake, some “adult” beverages, hand-made sea glass trinkets, and special under-the-sea cookies among other things. It’s a lot of fun, but you have to remember to fulfill your duty. I almost forgot because our group was caught up in the moment. Yes, you have to judge them!
Kat the Mermaid gets caught in the fisherman’s net
Kat in the Mermaid Parade – my favorite photo courtesy of Jimmy O’Kelly
On the flip side, register to participate in the parade. Put your creative hat on, and run with it! Some costumes are very elaborate and take months to prepare, but some of the best ideas are the simplest. One of my favorite entries remains “Kiss and Release.” This couple promoted catch-and-release fishing. The guy (fisherman) casts his line out and catches the mermaid, then reels her in. He plants a kiss on her and “tosses” her back into the sea. The narrative he told as they walked along was brilliant. Another group featured several “fish” and a lobster chased by a knife-wielding chef looking to make sushi out of them. Very tongue-and-cheek, but entertaining. Another ingenious take on the sushi chef is the pictured push-pull cart entry. I also laughed at the drunk captain with the Concordia life preserver.
The Concordia Captain
Father/daughter sushi chef
As a by-stander, it’s definitely an interesting way to spend the afternoon, but you miss out on the judging camaraderie and the participant bonding. These, in my book, make the parade memorable and complete the experience. Go for it! Maybe I’ll see you there next year!
August 4, 2016 – The Mermaid Parade is an “art parade” that has a mardi gras vibe to it. I participated the first year I discovered it, watched from the sidelines the second year, and judged the third year. It’s always a great time, but I like judging and participating best. It’s a toss up. I like to see all the other entries, but I also like to display my creative talents.