41st Annual Mermaid Parade, Saturday, June 17, 2023

2023 poster design by Von Brooklyn Design

Online registration has ended. Register day of, this Saturday, 6/17 from 10am-1pm, at 21st and Surf Avenue parking lot, CASH ONLY.
See day of rates here. The Parade starts at 1pm and is rain or shine.

King Neptune: Kool Keith, Queen Mermaid: Laurie Cumbo

Since 1983, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and visitors from across the country — and around the world — have headed to the Coney Island shore for Coney Island USA’s annual Mermaid Parade.

Inspired by the Coney Island Mardi Gras parades of old, the Mermaid Parade was transformed by its participants into a new kind of community celebration. By the late 1980s, it was at the top of every list of “must-do” things in New York, and is, without question, the official opening of summer in the city. 

Mermaid Parade Day of Information

Parade Route

The Parade starts at 1pm, rain or shine, on West 21st and Surf Avenue. It rolls east to West 10th Street, where the marchers and push-pull floats proceed to the Boardwalk and continue their march to Steeplechase Plaza, under the Parachute Jump, where the Parade will disband.

After the parade, usually around 4pm, there’s a procession led from the Judge’s stands at 19th Street and Surf Avenue, through Maimonides Park Parking lot, to the beach. Marchers and spectators are welcome to join. Marchers can join the procession from the end of the parade route under the Parachute Jump. On the beach, the official beach ceremony will take place, and the ocean will be opened for the summer swimming season.

Make sure to stop by Coney Island USA’s headquarters at 1208 Surf Ave before and after the parade to see the famous Coney Island Circus Sideshow, and grab a beer at the Freak Bar.

The Coney Island Circus Sideshow will be running all day long! Shows begin at 11am and run until 8pm (or possibly later based on crowds)!

The Freak Bar will be open from 11am until late!

*The Coney Island Museum will not be open on Parade day

Get Involved!

March in the Parade

The best way to experience the Mermaid Parade is by marching in it!
Learn about how you can march in the Mermaid Parade.

Be a Parade Judge

The next best way to experience the Mermaid Parade is to watch from the best seat in Coney Island!
Learn about how you can become a Mermaid Parade Judge and sit on the Judges’ Reviewing Stand.

Volunteer at the Parade

Are you interested in assisting our wonderful Mermaid Parade staff?
Learn about how you can become a Mermaid Parade volunteer.

Sponsor the Parade

Do you want to get your business in front of over half a million people at one of New York’s coolest events?
Learn about how your business can be a Mermaid Parade sponsor.

Want to continue the party after the Mermaid Parade?
Join us at the Coney Island Brewery for the official Mermaid Parade after party!

Click here for more information and tickets

About the Mermaid Parade

The Mermaid Parade is the nation’s largest art parade, and one of New York City’s greatest summer events. It was created by CIUSA’s former Artistic Director, Dick Zigun, and is produced by Coney Island USA, the 501 (c)(3) not for profit arts organization located in the heart of Coney Island’s iconic amusement district.

Founded in 1983, the Mermaid Parade pays tribute to a century of Coney Island ingenuity, revelry, and pageantry by celebrating the artistic vision of the masses. With everything from a crowned King Neptune and Queen Mermaid, fantastical sea creatures and mer-folk, marching bands and dancing groups, to baby strollers and mechanized floats, it showcases the creativity of individuals from the five boroughs and beyond. It opens the summer with a true celebration of incredible art, NYC’s entrepreneurial spirit, and our community pride. It also ensures a successful summer season by drawing hundreds of thousands of people to the amusement area, providing an economic boost to local businesses.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

Take a trip down memory lane and check out our past Mermaid Parade Royalty here

See if you are one of the 2022 Parade winners here!