Coney Island Mermaid Festival
Brooklyn, NY | June 21 Back in the early 20th century Coney Island served as one of New York’s premier vacation destinations, famed for its beaches, amusement park and original Nathan’s Hot Dog Stand. But during WWII, the island entered into a period of decline, and the amusement park took on the look of something out of Zombieland. In 1983, Dick Zigun (often referred to as the “Mayor of Coney Island”) founded the Coney Island Mermaid Parade to celebrate the island’s historical associations with circus sideshows, magic and vaudeville entertainment. In the past three decades, the (mostly) family-friendly event has become the largest art parade in the nation, featuring floats, flamboyant costumes, and the annual crowning of the merman and mermaid King and Queen, a title once held by David Byrne, Queen Latifah, Adam Savage, Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, among others.