The Coney Island Mermaid Parade is an annual art Parade held in Coney Island, New York. The event takes place on the Saturday closest to the summer solstice, June 21st. It is the largest art parade in the United States, and celebrates the arrival of summer. The festival's intent is to celebrate self-expression, boost pride in Coney Island, and give New York artists a place to display their artwork without any ethnic, religious, or commercial aims.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade made its Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade debut in the reimagined 2020 Parade. The group was selected after the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City caused several events and Parades to be cancelled, including the Coney Island Mermaid Parade.
The group's performance kicked off with a 50-member all-female Samba drumline known as Fogo Azul, with the Parade's creator, Dick Zigun, leading the procession. Several participants carried homemade banners, floats and costumes. Bringing up the rear of the group's performance was the 2020 Mermaid Queen, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, riding on a 1920's boardwalk rolling chair.