Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
100 [NSFW] Photos Of The Fabulous Mermaid Parade
By
Scott Lynch
Published Jun 22, 2014
Modified Jun 23, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Scott Lynch / Gothamist
View all 100
By
Scott Lynch
Published Jun 22, 2014
Modified Jun 23, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Coney Island celebrated its old freak-show spirit on Saturday as close to a million revelers had a blast on Surf Avenue and the boardwalk for the 32nd annual Mermaid Parade. The weather was spectacular, the costumes ranged from creepy to goofy to sexy as hell, and King Neptune and Queen Mermaid—a game Dante and Chiara de Blasio, body-painted blue—were swarmed by well-wishers and the press.
There's always much to like about the Mermaid Parade, and this year was no exception: the crazy energy and creativity of the sea-themed outfits; the enthusiastic flouting of NYC's "nanny" regulations (public drinking laws are effectively suspended for the day); the decidedly un-gentrified feel to the three-block staging area; the shrieking delight of so many of the spectators lining the street.
And everyone's allowed to get as naked as they want! There were the fully-clothed (example: our puffy-shirted-pirate of a mayor, Bill de Blasio), the fully-covered-but-with-things-that-aren't-really-clothes (fish, swamp monsters), and the pretty-much just straight-up nude. And at Mermaid Parade, everyone, no matter their body's age, shape, or size, is allowed to have exactly the same amount of nearly-naked fun.
Tagged
brooklyn
chiara de blasio
Coney Island Mermaid Parade
dante de blasio
NSFW
original
Scott Lynch
Photojournalist, food writer, preschool receptionist. Love NYC.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
'You Can See Everything' … as long as you go to Staten Island
Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary has been selling out across Manhattan and Brooklyn. Tickets to see the film, however, are very much available in other boroughs.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 27, 2026
Inside the hidden chamber that controls Lincoln Center's magnificent fountain
Gothamist went behind the scenes to learn how the NYC landmark keeps its majestic waters flowing.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
Inside the hidden chamber that controls Lincoln Center's magnificent fountain
Gothamist went behind the scenes to learn how the NYC landmark keeps its majestic waters flowing.
By
Sonia Rao
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
By
James Ramsay
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
By
Hannah Frishberg
A new film invites you to eavesdrop on one of the greatest conversations in NYC history
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .