Destination: Coney Island

Yes, it’s a former island, truly unique, and the Mermaid Parade this year carried a subtext of fighting words. Btw, the wiki link embedded in “island” does a fantastic job of the full story from Narrioch to the Thor development controversy. It fails to mention the yellow submarine of Coney Island Creek, however.

 

My best costume award goes to the Goth mermaids calling for unionizing barristas. Just seeing them compensated for my otherwise poor viewing location at the very end of the parade. Although “nets” might have been a better word choice than “chains” maybe?

 

Weariness after too many years of war even manifested itself. Maybe someone with more years at the parade than I have can recall if a previous parade had an anti-war component.

“Save” [Coney Island as we know it] and “fight” [development] appeared in many places.

The blog linked here captures a lot but possibly only a few captured this demonstration of weird powers… a real 8-foot boa constrictor minded by a shadow and slithering the sand in search of… a sampling of the rabbits that gave the island its name? a lost silver pendant? dialog with the woman in the lime gown? wildlife in an arboreal habitat?

 

Here’s wildlife in the form of Sea Lion that prowls just offshore. Maybe Sea Lion was in search of a reed boat to tow as it had a few weeks ago off Morris Canal.

 

Save Coney Island!! For a smattering more fotos of the day, check “special mermaid edition;” you may have to scroll down.

All fotos here … Will Van Dorp