{"id":274141,"date":"2026-06-22T17:08:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T17:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/274141\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T17:08:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T17:08:09","slug":"brooklyn-dives-into-summer-with-coney-island-mermaid-parade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/274141\/","title":{"rendered":"Brooklyn Dives Into Summer With Coney Island Mermaid Parade"},"content":{"rendered":"

The parade attracted an eclectic congregation of families, drag queens, artists and a surplus of glitter.<\/p>\n

The Coney Island Mermaid Parade was back for its 44th year on Saturday, celebrating the beachfront community and marking the unofficial start of summer in New York City.<\/p>\n

Organized by Coney Island USA<\/a>, the event is hailed as the nation’s largest art parade, championing creativity and self-expression. Thousands of spectators lined Surf Avenue, where the parade started from West 21st Street and made\u00a0its way to West 10th Street, before turning onto the boardwalk.<\/p>\n

Adam Rinn<\/a>, CIUSA\u2019s artistic director, said the organization ran into major funding issues this year. The organization raised over $40,000 through a GoFundMe campaign<\/a>, after a slow winter season and the years-long Coney Island casino fight<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just so heartwarming to see so many people who care about this parade, and want to, you know, and want to ensure that the parade happens,\u201d said Rinn.<\/p>\n

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\n. Photo: Emily Suhr for BK Reader <\/p>\n

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso<\/a> also kicked in $20,000, while New York Comic Con<\/a> provided a $25,000 sponsorship.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking at the people, both the people who were spectating [and] the marchers, and the joy and the gratification that that brings to them, that says the world right there,\u201d said Rinn. \u201cThat’s everything that I truly love about this parade\u2026You have people from all walks of life standing next to each other and smiling and cheering.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n. Photo: Emily Suhr for BK Reader <\/p>\n

This sentiment rang true throughout the day. Linh Luu has attended the parade many times before, bringing along her dog, Chance<\/a>, who has more than 30,000 followers on social media.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just love the creativity,\u201d said Luu. \u201cEvery year that we\u2019ve gone the costumes are different, the floats are different, and just the energy of everybody being so friendly and nice and happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"img_2360\"
\nParade marcher Baron Misuraca holding up a sign. . Photo: Emily Suhr for BK Reader <\/p>\n

Baron Misuraca was a first-time participant in the parade, though he had been a spectator many times before.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just something that I felt that I wanted to do,\u201d said Misuraca, who also hosts CIUSA\u2019s Cemetery Cinema<\/a> program. \u201cIt’s good to be in the center of the action.\u201d<\/p>\n

Misuraca marched in the parade this year holding up a sign that said \u201cScream!\u201d hyping up the crowd. He said his favorite part was hearing people cheer in response.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody\u2019s having a great time, you know, it\u2019s a very special day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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\n. The Batal\u00e1 New York ensemble playing on the boardwalk. Photo: Emily Suhr for BK Reader <\/p>\n

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