2007 Mermaid Parade Has Political, But Fun Spirit

The 25th annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade was held this past Saturday. It is known for its campy costumes and floats, celebrating the sand, the sea, and the beginning of summer. This year’s event also had an underlying political theme running throughout due to the controversy surrounding the future of the amusement district. Borough President Marty Markowitz was welcomed with both cheers and jeers.

"Save Coney Island" was a common theme running throughout the parade. A skeleton-mask clad man with “Thor” written on his lapel; an obvious reference to Thor Equities, the development firm that is proposing to redevelop the area. Their controversial plans originally included much-maligned condos, which have since been replaced with hotels, timeshares, and an enclosed amusement area. Black-clad revelers marched along in a "funeral" procession for Astroland Amusement Park, a property purchased by Thor last year which has sparked a citywide interest in the state of Coney Island’s affairs. This year is reportedly the last for the 44 year-old amusement park but negotiations are underway to give the park one more summer while the park looks for a new destination.

It was not all a political statement, however. There was still a great deal of fun to be had ranging from outrageous costumes to children dressed up as mermaids and pirates.