On a sun-drenched Saturday, June 21, 2025, the annual Mermaid Parade—Brooklyn’s whimsical ode to summer—once again animated the storied streets of Coney Island. Now in its forty-third year, the parade has evolved from a modest gathering of artists and eccentrics into an exuberant ritual, attracting thousands who collectively abandon terrestrial norms for maritime fantasy.
From Surf Avenue to the famous wooden planks of the boardwalk, the neighborhood swelled with a radiant tide of creativity. Revelers dressed as mermaids, pirates, mythical sea creatures, and creatures that defied easy categorization surged through the streets, their attire shimmering with sequins, shells, and dazzling color. This was not merely costuming—it was a communal act of imaginative escapism, a celebration both of individuality and the collective spirit of Brooklyn.
Among the standout performers was Luke, an artist known to his Instagram followers as @lukenyc1. Donning a vivid green wig and sparkling tail, Luke thrilled onlookers outside the famed Nathan’s Famous stand with dramatic fire-breathing, a display that momentarily eclipsed even Coney Island’s neon spectacle.
The Tailshakers, a spirited dance group, moved through the parade with rhythmic confidence, their futuristic, aquatic costumes glinting beneath metallic face paint. Their performance underscored the parade’s delightful tension between tradition and innovation, fantasy and fashion, a testament to the event’s unique cultural fusion.
Yet the magic of the Mermaid Parade lay as much in the quiet details as in grand displays. Children cheered gleefully, their faces adorned with glittering face paint, captivated by the parade’s kaleidoscopic whimsy. Adults, some festooned in their own oceanic finery, reveled in the pageantry, capturing photos and dancing spontaneously to the parade’s buoyant soundtrack.
More than an annual ritual, the Mermaid Parade has become a living, breathing portrait of Brooklyn—capturing its vibrancy, inclusivity, and boundless creativity. As summer’s herald, it offers a joyful reassurance: that despite changing times, the artistic heartbeat of Coney Island beats as strongly as ever.
