Ah, the Mermaid Parade, where a metropolis’ worth of grit and glitter converge at Coney Island for an afternoon of music, muscle cars, and of course, mermaids. This year’s parade kicked off with Chiara and Dante DeBlasio, looking… rather blue as King Neptune and Queen Mermaid, followed by Mayor Bill d’yarr Blasio decked out as a pirate, plundering a small percentage of wealthy New Yorkers’ income for the benefit of swashbuckling pre-K children. The marchers included everyone from adorable tykes in homemade mermaid tails, to grown adults in little more than body glitter and a few strategically placed seashells. Low-brow and high-energy, The Mermaid Parade offers a glimpse of Coney Island’s freaky past for one afternoon each year, and I can’t think of a better way to kick off the summer.
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Was there a big gay marching band?
IMG 1798 from Madelyn Owens on Vimeo.
You betcha!
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