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Thousands gather for the 2023 Coney Island Mermaid Parade
By
Bria Suggs
and
Louis C. Hochman
Published Jun 17, 2023
Modified Jun 17, 2023
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Louis C. Hochman / Gothamist
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By
Bria Suggs
and
Louis C. Hochman
Published Jun 17, 2023
Modified Jun 17, 2023
Share
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Mermaids, mermen, merfolk with nonbinary or fluid identities and mer-ry celebrants of nearly every imaginable description lined Surf Avenue in Coney Island Saturday morning for the 41st Mermaid Parade.
“The Mermaid Parade is definitely one of the most surreal experiences that somebody can have,” Adam Rinn, Coney Island USA’s artistic director, said earlier this week. “It's just a sea of real-life mermaids, Neptunes, sea-creatures, sailors — with a backdrop of Coney Island.”
This year’s parade, billed as the nation’s largest arts parade, honored hip-hop legend Kool Keith as its king, and city Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo as its queen. Organizers estimate hundreds of thousands of people come out each year.
Sadie Hughes Boozer, a longtime Flatbush resident, came to the Mermaid Parade for the first time this year. It's usually her daughter in the funky, creative makeup for holidays and special occasions — but Saturday was Boozer's turn.
Louis C. Hochman / Gothamist
Sadie Hughes Boozer has lived in East Flatbush for decades. She's long thought about taking part in the Mermaid Parade — but Saturday, with her face bejeweled and ocean-blue, and seashells round her neck, she said this was finally the year.
"No one wanted to come with me, so this year, 'I said no matter what, I'm coming,'" she said.
Hughes Boozer is used to decorating her daughter for fun holiday events ("She's a beautiful Ursula, but she didn't come"). She enjoyed the chance to get made up herself, to come out and hear joyous music, to see classic cars, and to enjoy the creative spirit of New Yorkers.
"Just like the Halloween parade — it's all authentic New Yorkers. And this is an authentic New York event," she said.
For hours before the Mermaid Parade, participants gather along 21st Street in Coney Island and the boardwalk amphitheater to start getting on their makeup, rehearse their routines and enjoy the festive, creative spirit of the day.
Louis C. Hochman / Gothamist
Rinn — a sword-swallower, strongman, performer — described the annual tradition as “seriously the greatest day in not only Coney Island, not only Brooklyn, but the entire city.” The parade has been held nearly every year since 1983, but went virtual in 2020 and was cancelled in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The parade stepped off at 1 p.m. from West 21st and Surf Avenue, rolling east to West 10th street before looping around to the boardwalk, and was set to wrap up around 4 p.m. A ceremony on the beach also marks the start of the official summer swimming season on Coney Island.
Several musical performers, most mermaid-wear themselves, joined the 41st Mermaid Parade on Coney Island Saturday.
Louis C. Hochman / Gothamist
“It opens the summer with a true celebration of incredible art, NYC’s entrepreneurial spirit, and our community pride” parade organizers said on their website.
It's a family-friendly event, but some attendees are more scantily clad than others, so organizers encourage parents to exercise their own judgment when bringing young children.
A livestream was hosted on YouTube as well.
The B35 bus was set to be detoured until 5 p.m. on Saturday. Several road closures were planned for the day of the parade as well.
The Mermaid Parade has been a Coney Island staple since 1983. It's run every year except 2020, when it was a virtual-only event, and 2021 when it was called off for pandemic precautions.
Louis C. Hochman / Gothamist
Tagged
Music
arts
theater
brooklyn
Bria Suggs
Bria is an audio production intern at WNYC and Gothamist.
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Louis C. Hochman
After about two decades in (mostly) New Jersey-focused commercial print, digital and digital-but-radio-adjacent news, Lou stumbled into member-supported news in early 2021, as the editor and CEO of Montclair Local. There, he (hopes he) expanded enterprise, brought more sophistication to digital storytelling and moved the nonprofit newsroom closer to long-term financial sustainability. He helped lead the Local to its fourth consecutive General Excellence award from the New Jersey Press Association — the NJPA's highest honor with judges noting the paper's work to strip away layers of government opacity, to hold power to account, to make news accessible for more members of the community, to share the stories and concerns of more facets of the community and to tell compelling stories across multiple media. He's excited to continue the same ethic — news as a public service — at NYPR as the New Jersey and suburbs editor, drawing on the extraordinary talents of reporters including Karen Yi and Nancy Solomon. Lou lives in Philly (that commute!) with his partner and their two cats, about whom and about which he speaks incessantly.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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