Mermaid Parade 2019: Everything You Need To Know

BROOKLYN, NY — Break out that mermaid costume that has been collecting dust in the back of the closet since last year – the 37th annual Mermaid Parade is returning to Coney Island on Saturday, June 22.

The famed Brooklyn-based celebration is the largest art parade in the nation, according to its website. The event brings a truly unique mix of ancient mythology and honky-tonk rituals to the streets of Coney Island.

The Mermaid Parade has come a long way from the first time it wound through Brooklyn's streets in 1983, but the three goals it was founded with still resonate throughout every aspect of the event.

• It brings mythology to life on streets named Mermaid and Neptune.
• It creates self-esteem in a district that is often disregarded.
• It lets artistic New Yorkers find self expression in public.

The parade is also unusual in that it has no ethnic, religious or commercial aims, according to its website.

Folk singer Arlo Guthrie, who is Woody Guthrie's son, will serve as the honorary King Neptune and his sister Nora Guthrie will be the honorary Queen Mermaid.

An awards ceremony will take place after the parade, in which parade founder Dick D. Zigun and the Guthries will announce the winning parade float, as well as perform the opening of the ocean for the summer.

Here's everything you need to know about the event.

When:

Saturday, June 22 at 1 p.m.

Where:

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

Parade Route:

The parade will travel down Surf Avenue from 21st Street to Luna Park, before banking right down 10th Street and then traveling up the boardwalk to the Steelplechase Plaza. For a detailed map of the route, click here.

Do I need to register to attend?

Registering is a must to participate in the Mermaid Parade. Online registration is strongly recommended as it will save you money and time. Online registration is open until Wednesday, June 19 at 11:59 p.m. You can register the day of the event with cash only beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at 1 p.m.

Weather Forecast:

The Mermaid Parade looks to be bringing the good weather with it as June 22 is set to be the first sunny day after a run of damp ones. It will be mostly clear with a high of 79 degrees and a low of 63 degrees, and only a ten percent chance of rain, according to a forecast from weather.com.