![\"Coney](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/03.21.26-EricaPrice_007.jpg\")
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Left to right: Adam Rinn, artistic director, and James Fitzsimmons, executive director of Coney Island USA, say that despite raising $40,000 for the Mermaid Parade, much more funding is still needed.<\/p>\n
Photo by Erica Price<\/p>\n
Just weeks after sounding the alarm<\/a> over its uncertain future, the Coney Island Mermaid Parade is seeing a surge of community support and a renewed sense of cautious optimism.\u00a0<\/p>\n Organizers at Coney Island USA<\/a> say their emergency GoFundMe campaign has raised nearly $40,000<\/a>, more than doubling its initial total and signaling just how deeply the decades-old tradition resonates with New Yorkers and fans around the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt is very heartwarming,\u201d artistic director Adam Rinn told Brooklyn Paper in a follow-up interview. \u201cThe event has greatly impacted and touched so many people. Donations are coming in all different amounts \u2014 dollars to thousands of dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n But even with that momentum, the parade is not yet secure.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Rinn said the current total represents roughly one-third of the funds needed to stage the free, large-scale event, which draws hundreds of spectators to Surf Avenue each June. While organizers are continuing preparations behind the scenes, the final green light depends on closing the remaining financial gap.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not out of the woods just yet,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re doing everything behind the scenes so that when it comes time to write the first check, we have the money in place.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Since the initial fundraising push, support has extended beyond individual donations. Businesses and community partners have begun stepping in, offering to host independent fundraising events to benefit the parade \u2014 a development Rinn says is just as valuable as direct contributions.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery penny helps,\u201d he said. \u201cIf someone does an event and it generates a few hundred or a few thousand dollars, that\u2019s all useful. It\u2019s all appreciated.\u201d<\/p>\n Those grassroots efforts are also helping raise awareness about the organization behind the spectacle, something Rinn noted has historically been overlooked.\n<\/p>\n \u201cFor years, people didn\u2019t really know who produced the parade,\u201d he said. \u201cIt just seemed like, \u2018the parade happens.\u2019 But there\u2019s an organization behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n While crowdfunding had provided a critical boost, Rinn said corporate sponsorships will ultimately determine whether the 2026 parade moves forward at full scale.\u00a0<\/p>\n Coney Island USA is actively seeking brands and businesses interested in reaching the parade\u2019s massive audience \u2014 both in-person and across social media \u2014 as the summer season approaches.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe are inching closer with some sponsors, and that\u2019s going to make a very big impact,\u201d Rinn said.\n<\/p>\n Registration for Mermaid Parade participants has not yet opened, but organizers expect to launch it soon \u2014 another key revenue stream that will help solidify plans<\/p>\n Despite the uncertainty, Rinn struck a more hopeful tone than in previous weeks. Organizers are continuing logistical planning as if the parade will proceed, ready to move quickly once funding is secured.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this point, we are expecting the Mermaid Parade to happen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Left to right: Adam Rinn, artistic director, and James Fitzsimmons, executive director of Coney Island USA, say that…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":195410,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[14473,2091,98,10454,100,99,26362,25654,119,14480,3088,32384,267,68330,9,24,12,370,6202,63,5841,273,5281,77933,4799,77934,6315],"class_list":{"0":"post-195409","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brooklyn","8":"tag-adam-rinn","9":"tag-arts-and-culture","10":"tag-brooklyn","11":"tag-brooklyn-events","12":"tag-brooklyn-headlines","13":"tag-brooklyn-news","14":"tag-brooklyn-paper","15":"tag-community-support","16":"tag-coney-island","17":"tag-coney-island-usa","18":"tag-fundraising","19":"tag-gofundme","20":"tag-local-news","21":"tag-mermaid-parade","22":"tag-new-york","23":"tag-new-york-city","24":"tag-news","25":"tag-newsletter","26":"tag-nonprofits","27":"tag-nyc","28":"tag-nyc-culture","29":"tag-parades","30":"tag-performing-arts","31":"tag-public-events","32":"tag-small-businesses","33":"tag-summer-events","34":"tag-tourism"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=195409"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195409\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/195410"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=195409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=195409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=195409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Mermaid](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/03.21.26-EricaPrice_009.jpg\")
Not there yet: Coney Island USA Artistic Director Adam Rinn told Brooklyn Paper that the $40,000 raised is one-third of the Mermaid Parade\u2019s fundraising goal.Photo by Erica Price<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/063_2025-06-21_EricaPrice.jpg\")
The Mermaid Parade draws thousands, with colorful groups marching through Coney Island\u2019s streets and along the boardwalk.File photo by Erica Price ![\"Mermaid](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/03.21.26-EricaPrice_010.jpg\")
The Mermaid Parade is entirely made up of volunteers who don\u2019t earn a single dollar.Photo by Erica Price<\/p>\n