Mermaids are truly political, as you will see in the next few photos.  The partially obscured sign between the two large puppets says:  Manhattan, Next Atlantis.  Frightening!  Their intent to invade and annex coastal cities is nothing short of a land grab.  Would they reef buildings like those in the background?

Even advancing coral appeared this year, arriving with its own entourage, all looking quite healthy and diverse.

 

Some mermaids seem to have very terrestrial concerns, while others

just want to dance to the music, taking advantage of their single day of land-appendage exchange.

Other sea critters have rights on their minds . . .

like these surfsurfsurfragettes.

But mostly this parade is about music, marching, dancing, and welcoming the longest day the year, a leg stretching day.

These photos may capture the color but do not begin to suggest the volume.

Between the buildings, these drums are thunderous.

Green light, red light . . .  they just keep pouring through the intersection.  And remember yesterday’s tuba?  That tuba–like the trumpet–has found its tribe.

 

 

 

Pirates also come ashore, like this band made up of scalawags banned from every continent of dry ground.

A reporter wanting to interview a dancer . . . just has to dance.

 

 

 

We leave it here.

All photos by Will Van Dorp, who is counting the days until the mermaids re-emerge from the deep for their next long day in the sun.