The start of summer is celebrated in all kinds of ways in the city. You could have easily gone to Times Square and done yoga poses for free but for those wanting just a little more excitement there’s no better place to be than Coney Island, Brooklyn celebrating the Mermaid Parade with thousands of sea theme related costumes for all to enjoy. Each year the crowds keep growing larger and people come from all parts of the country to get in on the fun. One big surprise was when Mayor deBlasio dressed up as a pirate to kick off the parade. His two children, Dante and Chiara, were named King Neptune and Queen Mermaid and they were loving all the attention. Then the fun really started. The best place to see the parade is by the judges grandstand on Surf Ave and 20th St. All groups are given a number and rated by easily influenced judges (the better the bribe the better the rating). There were marching bands and dancing groups to keep the crowd well entertained. Since the Mermaid Parade also pays tribute to Burlesque era, there were plenty of dancers paying homage to the art form. One creative mermaid promised to keep watch over any drowning swimmers as she was she Guardian Mermaid. The first of the many sea creatures was rolled in while it sat on top of a large decorative fish. One group after another tried to impress the judges but by far the dancing group Sole Train made the best impression (bribes ahem). Not too far behind them were the crowd favorites Sexcamaids with their hot and sexy dance moves. Jazzing things up was a local group from the Coney Island Yacht Club with their brass band that could give any New Orleans street band a run for their crawfish. The parade is just the start of the days activities where the winner is announced at the Mermaid Ball later on that afternoon. This year’s Mermaid Parade was one of the better ones so far and what a way to kick off some summer fun.
NYC Parade Life 
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