Last Sunday, I took the N Train to the last stop, Stillwell Avenue and met some friends to witness The Mermaid Parade. I’ve been wanting to do this what seems like forever but somehow I just never got there. I was determined to get there this year and I did.

The Mermaid Parade is the nation’s largest art parade, and one of New York City’s greatest summer events. It was created by CIUSA’s former Artistic Director, Dick Zigun, and its produced by Coney Island USA, the 501 (c)(3) not for profit arts organization which is located in the heart of Coney Island’s iconic amusement district.

The Mermaid Parade pays tribute to a century of Coney Island ingenuity, revelry, and pageantry by celebrating the artistic vision of the masses. With everything from a crowned King Neptune and Queen Mermaid, fantastical sea creatures and mer-folk, marching bands and dancing groups, to baby strollers and mechanized floats, the parade showcases the creativity of individuals from the five boroughs and beyond.

It opens the summer with a true celebration of incredible art, NYC’s entrepreneurial spirit, and our community pride. It also ensures a successful summer season by drawing hundreds of thousands of people to the amusement area, providing an economic boost to local businesses.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

Here are some photos from the parade.