Flip your fins down to Coney Island this weekend for Brooklyn's annual Mermaid Parade
Held on the third Saturday every June, he annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade is the largest art parade in the US.
I have what could easily be argued as an obsession with mermaids. It started with Ariel and it never stopped. So when I first learned about the Annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade, I swam right to it. My friend Katie made us proper mermaid tails, and I was enamored with the costumes I saw.
Since that first visit over ten years ago, I have made an effort to go to every mermaid parade. I've been anything from a jellyfish to a lobster to a coral reef system. Part of the fun is making my own costume, and I glue more gemstones to fabric every June than most people do in their lifetimes. But I'm not alone — that's the beauty of the mermaid parade. Yes, it is indeed a parade, but it's really fun to just walk around, people watch, and tell everyone how awesome their outfits are. The happy vibes of the Mermaid Parade are exactly why I've dubbed it "the happiest day on earth."
If you want to visit this year's parade, festivities are on Saturday, June 20th, and the parade starts at 1:00 p.m.
As an avid mermaid parade-goer, I would recommend getting there well before 1 to find a spot, grab a bite (pro-tip: the lobster rolls from Paul's Daughter are my favorite out of all five boroughs), and take photos of some of your favorite costumes. The parade is free to attend, and the best way to get down to Coney Island is by taking the Q to Ocean Parkway.
You can read more about the Mermaid Parade here .
