Exclusive: Behind-the-scenes look at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade
CONEY ISLAND, Brooklyn (PIX11) -- PIX11 News got an exclusive look behind the scenes as community groups prepared for Coney Island’s Mermaid Parade.
The Mermaid Parade features marching bands, floats, antique cars and thousands of participants dressed in handcrafted sea-themed costumes.
The 42nd annual Mermaid Parade will start at 1 p.m. in Coney Island on Saturday, June 22.
The Mermaid Parade includes around 3,000 participants and typically draws hundreds of thousands of spectators, according to Coney Island USA, the not-for-profit arts organization that organizes the event.
Rick Davy, a renowned stylist and producer, has devoted his life to supporting emerging New York City designers. He says the event of the year for fashion and fun is the Mermaid Parade, which is famous for its creative costumes.
Laurie Cumbo, the commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, said it’s an event that brings culture, community and creativity together. The streets of Brooklyn turn into runways.
Preparation for the parade all starts inside a huge warehouse that receives more than a million pounds of recycled creative materials each year. Cumbo said it’s thanks to a program called the Materials for the Arts. It’s a citywide program where repurposed items are donated and get a second life.
The program gives free supplies to more than 4,000 members, which are mostly arts nonprofits and public schools. The materials are used for many of the costumes and floats in the Mermaid Parade.
Davy and Maria Canela designed Cumbo's mermaid ensemble this year.