The 2019 Coney Island Mermaid Parade

BROOKLYN, NY – With a sequin-filled, fabulous and costumed procession of revelers, the summer season officially kicked off on Saturday with the unlocking of the ocean at the 37th Annual Mermaid Parade in Coney Island, New York.

The grand marshall of the parade and unofficial mayor of Coney Island Dick Zigun lead the parade. He was joined by King Neptune Arlo Guthrie and Queen Mermaid Nora Guthrie guiding thousands of attendees through Surf Avenue and down to the Boardwalk and into the ocean to christen the summer season ahead.
Arlo and Nora are born-and-bred Coney Island-items, and of course, are the children of the legendary songwriter and singer Woody Guthrie.
Everyone from mermaids in wheelchairs to dogs in costume, and everyone in between colored the streets of this iconic Brooklyn neighborhood in the annual event that is a foundation of self-expression and freedom.
According to the founders of the parade, the Mermaid parade is, “Unlike most parades, this one has no ethnic, religious, or commercial aims.”
Created by artists, it is a celebration of the summer solstice with an Americana twist. The Mermaid Parade is a celebration of summer in New York.

Aside from the party atmosphere on the streets and boardwalk of this fabled neighborhood, Mayor Zigun performs his annual ritual of “unlocking” the ocean and burning incense of sage and herbs to ensure that no lives are lost on Coney Island Beach through the duration of the 2019 summer season.

Photos and article by Nadezda Tavodova Tezgor