Coney Island, New York (Surf Avenue)
My Mermaid Costume for the Coney Island Parade
About 5,000 people in handmade costumes marched in Coney Island's Mermaid Parade. My tail made marching tricky.
Coney Island’s Mermaid Parade marched down Surf Avenue for the 44th time, with about 5,000 people in handmade costumes. King Neptune and Queen Mermaid ride in a wicker chair from 1923. I made my own costume.
Costume Notes
- Tail: Shiny green sequins, thousands of them, sewn on by me and one very patient friend.
- Crown: Made from a cake box. Royal enough.
- Trident: A fork, painted. A big fork.
- Shoes: None. Mermaids don’t wear shoes. Neither did I, until about the second block.
- Attitude: Majestic. That part was easy.
The Parade
The trouble with a tail is walking. A mermaid tail is made for swimming, and Surf Avenue is not made of water. So I hopped. I hopped the whole route, and the crowd cheered every single hop.
At one point, I asked to ride in the wicker chair. It’s reserved for King Neptune and Queen Mermaid. Mermaid royalty outranks me, apparently, which is a first for me.
Next year I’m coming as a seahorse. They can’t walk either, so nobody will expect me to.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do people dress as?
Mermaids, mermen, fish, sea creatures and ocean things nobody has named yet. It's all handmade, and all of it sparkles.
Did your tail survive?
Most of it. Several sequins now live on Surf Avenue, where they belong.