The Mermaid Parade

Whoo-hoo! I finally got to go to the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island this year, and let me tell you, it was worth the wait. This year, they celebrated the 25th anniversary of the parade and the weather was perfect (last year it rained and not many people came). I even sported my blue hair for the parade, fashionably tied back in a loose mermaid braid, with a Natalie Dee mermaid t-shirt that I made. We had so much fun.

The parade itself was incredible. So many people dressed up in crazy costumes and prancing around. It was hilarious. And the setting was so perfect, on "Surf Avenue," which faces kitschy Astroland Park with all its shabby pop craziness. (Check out my slide show of the parade here.) I know I've never seen anything like it before. There were all different types of sea creatures, all different types of mermaids, and all different types of people! It can best be described as one giant party that we had great seats to.

Some of my favorite costumes were the silly blends of sea folklore and silly pop culture, like "Evita Piranha" and the Marie Antoinette Jellyfish...

After the FOUR HOUR parade (which, I think we saw at least three hours of), Tim and I grabbed some lunch and headed to the "Wonder Wheel," which is a Coney Island landmark. After fighting for a spot (the suckiest part of our Coney Island experience), we enjoyed the views from the top of the Wheel. It was also worth the wait, since you can see all of Astroland from up there. Incredible.

Then we strolled the boardwalk until the finale of the parade, the throwing of the fruit into the ocean by the King and Queen of the parade to open the Island up for summer. (We got up really close to the main event because of my blue hair and Tim's orange shirt - it looked like the security guards shirts). Tim got some great pictures of King Neptune, Adam Savage from the TV show Myth Busters! We went home very pleased with the day.