Coney Island's Mermaid Parade

Since most of my photos from the Mermaid Parade are of topless people (yeah, it was frightful and yeah, there were lots of kids there), I'm going to share some photos of Coney Island and the area/aura of the famous parade.

This parade has been going on for years—since 1983—and happens every year towards the end of June, rain or shine. This year, there was rain. And it was cold. And windy. Whereas last year it was beautiful and warm and bright and sunny. I went with some friends and a fellow photo-taker and ran into some of our other photo friends while there. This is a great event for photography lovers, not because it is a parade—it is not just any parade—it is an outrageous spectacle, an excuse to dress even crazier than you would on Halloween, and a gaurantee that there will be jaw-dropping sights.

Again, most of my photos of the participants contain nudity (they are mermaids, after all), so here are some other pics from the outing!

A rainy view of Coney out of the Q train window



the crowds by the subway station



Lots of guys show up for this event...



Ha! It says, "Free Willie Nelson"



More from last year: here