The Mermaid Parade Returns to Coney Island

Join us for The 36th Annual Mermaid Parade, Saturday June 16th, 2018! The parade kicks off at 1pm on West 21st and Surf Avenue and proceeds on Surf Avenue to West 10th, then heads south to the Boardwalk and then west back to its ending point at Steeplechase Plaza on the Boardwalk.

The Mermaid Parade is a unique and artistic celebration of ancient mythology and the honky-tonk seaside ritual that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to the amusement district. The parade features marching bands, drill teams, floats, antique cars and some 1,500 participants dressed in hand-made costume of mermaids, sea creatures, amusement rides and Neptunes. It is the largest art parade in the nation and the largest event of the year in Coney Island. The o-fish-al beer of the Parade will be flowing all day. Mermaid Pilsner will be available straight from the source at Coney Island Brewery, and at bars and restaurants throughout the Coney Island neighborhood!

"We are very excited to have Amanda Palmer & Neil Gaiman lead the parade, as this years Queen Mermaid & King Neptune" Parade and Coney Island USA Founder Dick Zigun said. "And, we are thrilled to have our good friends at the Coney Island Brewery as presenter and Kitchen 21 as our co-presenter."

According to tradition, Queen Mermaid and King Neptune will be wheeled through the parade in an antique wicker Boardwalk Rolling Chair that dates back to 1923.

Immediately after the parade, at approximately 4 pm, Dick Zigun, leads the King and Queen procession through MCU Parking lot (19th and Surf Avenue) to the beach, for the official Beach Ceremony and opening of the ocean for the summer swimming season.

From 5pm - 11pm, Coney Island USA & Coney Island Brewery Present: The Mermaid Parade Ball (The Official After Party of The Mermaid Parade) with co-presenter Kitchen 21! The Ball takes place at Kitchen 21's Rooftop Lounge on W.21st St. on the boardwalk. Further info and tickets can be purchased at: www.coneyisland.com/mermaid-parade-ball

Parade Registration and additional information for the Parade are available at: www.mermaidparade.com

Parade Registration is from 10am-1pm in the parking lot on 21st street and Surf Ave.

* The Parade will start at West 21st Street and Surf Avenue

* The Parade will roll east to West 10th Street

* At West 10th Street the Parade will turn south towards the boardwalk

* Cars and Motorized Floats continue down Surf Ave. passing W. 10th Street and exit the parade.

* At the Boardwalk, the marchers and push-pull floats will turn west and head towards West 17th St.

* At Steeplechase Plaza, the Parade will disband.

ABOUT THE PARADE:
The Mermaid Parade was founded in 1983 by Coney Island USA, the not-for-profit arts organization that also produces the Coney Island Circus Sideshow. The Mermaid Parade pays homage to Coney Island's forgotten Mardi Gras, which lasted from 1903 to 1954 and draws from a host of other sources resulting in a wonderful and wacky event, that is unique to Coney Island.

The parade was founded to achieve three goals: bring mythology to life for local residents who live on streets named Mermaid and Neptune; create self-esteem in a district that is often disregarded; and let artistic New Yorkers find self-expression in public. Previous King Neptunes and Queen Mermaids have included Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, David Byrne, Queen Latifah, Moby, Annabella Sciorra, Judah Friedlander, Deborah Harry, Chris Stein, David Johansen, Karen Duffy, Carole Radziwill, Harvey Keitel and Daphne Keitel.

ABOUT QUEEN MERMAID Amanda Palmer:
Amanda Palmer is a singer, songwriter, playwright, piano-slayer, ukulele-enthusiast, and blogger who simultaneously embraces and explodes traditional frameworks of music, theatre, and art. She first came to prominence as one half of the Boston-based punk cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls, earning global applause for their wide-ranging theatricality and inventive songcraft. Her solo career has proven equally brave and boundless, including such groundbreaking works as the fan-funded album "Theatre is Evil", which was supported by 25,000 fans on Kickstarter. In 2013 she presented "The Art of Asking" at the annual TED conference, which has since been viewed over 15 million times worldwide. The following year saw Palmer expand her philosophy into the New York Times best-seller, "The Art of Asking: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Let People Help". Since 2015, Palmer has used Patreon, a patronage subscription crowdfunding platform, to fund the creation of her art work while enabling her to collaborate with artists all over the world with over 11,000 patrons supporting her creations each month.

ABOUT KING NEPTUNE Neil Gaiman:
Neil Gaiman is the author of the New York Times bestseller Norse Mythology, 2013 UK Book of the Year The Ocean at the End of the Lane, the Newbery and Carnegie Medal winning The Graveyard Book, as well as Coraline, Neverwhere, American Gods (now a Starz TV series) essay collection The View from the Cheap Seats and The Sandman series of graphic novels, among many other works. Neil is currently dividing his time between the UK, where he is turning Good Omens, a novel which he wrote with Terry Pratchett, into television, and the US, where he is Professor in the Arts at Bard College.

ABOUT CONEY ISLAND USA:
Coney Island USA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit arts organization based in the amusement park area of the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn New York at 1208 Surf Ave. In existence since 1980, Coney Island USA has developed and produces a number of different programs including some of New York City's best loved summer programming, such as the Mermaid Parade and the Coney Island Circus Sideshow. Coney Island USA also operates the Coney Island Museum, and produces Ask the Experts, Burlesque at the Beach, Congress of Curious Peoples, Coney Island Film Society, Coney Island Film Festival, Coney Island Beard and Moustache Competition, Coney Island Hot Rod Festival, Funhouse Philosophers, Magic at Coney!!! and the Coney Island Sideshow School.

ABOUT CONEY ISLAND BREWING COMPANY:
The mission of Coney Island Brewing is to brew craft beer that captures the spirit, flavor and romance that is Coney Island. The company's home brewery, located on Surf Avenue in Coney Island, is open seven days a week. For more information, visit them online at: www.coneyislandbeer.com, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Instagram @coneyislandbeer. Coney Island Brewing Company is an A&S Brewing Collaborative brand, a subsidiary of the Boston Beer Company.

The 2018 Mermaid Parade is sponsored by Coney Island Brewing Co., Kitchen 21, Explore Brooklyn, Luna Park, The Alliance for Coney Island, Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, New York Aquarium, Brooklyn Cyclones, The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Organic Bareburger, Salt & Bone Smokehouse, Little Darling's Pinups for Pitbulls, Elektra Cosmetics, Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn Roasting Company, The Lasik Vision Institute, Sparkling Ice, One Brick NYC, Essentia, Green Mountain Energy, Materials for the Arts, The Glitter Addicts, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Halloween Adventure, The White Unicorn, Wafels & Dinges

Photo Credit: Norman Blake

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