Glistening handmade costumes and serving aquatic realness took centre stage at this year’s Mermaid Parade as hundreds transformed into mythical sea creatures.
The 41st annual Mermaid Parade at Coney Island in New York City made a colourful return as crowds of celebrators swathed as sea creatures marched through the beach for what organisers call the largest art parade in the U.S.
Shailene Gravestone, 25, is one fantasy dresser who attended the spectacle and was dressed like a character straight out of a Disney movie.
READ MORE: ‘I’m sexualised for being a real life mermaid – men can be real mer-verts’
The part-time bartender, who transformed into an electric blue-coloured mermaid bedazzled in sequins and glitter, made the surprising confession that she was once “dressed like a mermaid while having sex.”
Wearing a sparkly sea-shell bra, an aqua-coloured wig and covered in a brown net, she shared the details about her saucy mermaid-dressed sexual encounter, which she described as being “truly wild.”
Adding: “I went to a themed house party and was dressed similarly to this. I started to make out with this guy, who came back to mine after the party, and what can I say? I was dressed like a mermaid, and we had sex?”
Despite holding back on some of the story's finer details, she did confess that “she’s never done anything like that before,” and it was an experience “she’ll never forget.”
Shailene then revealed: “I have to admit, it was very unpredictable. Like, the whole thing took me by surprise, but I did have a lot of fun and being in character made it even hotter.”
The 24-year-old was one of thousands' who attended the famous beach parade on June 17.
The annual event sees people from all walks of life transform into half-naked mermaids, mermen, and other mythical sea creatures, who are covered in glitter and scales as they march the streets of Coney Island's beach.
The celebratory event, kickstarted by Coney Island USA founder Dick Zigun in 1983, has become a neighbourhood staple each year and brings in thousands of visitors for a fun day-out.
Elsewhere at the parade, and one merman even admitted to feeling more “masculine” while dressing up as the mythical creature.
Gregor Ives, 42, a New York native, was with his wife and their friends, who also dressed up as mermaids and mermen for the day out.
The father-of-one wore a pair of funky blue-gilled tights, a purple merman vest, vibrant shoes and multiple pieces of mermaid jewellery, including an oversized shell necklace and handmaid merman crown
He spoke on how “fun and free” he felt while dressed in the outfit.
“I look forward to Coney Island’s Mermaid Parade every year because it’s just so uplifting and free, no one takes themselves too seriously, and people are just there to have fun.”
Sharing his thoughts on whether it’s great to see guys partake in the dressing up, he added: “Every year, I see more and more guys come to the event and transform into mermen too, and it’s nice because when we walk around we exchange the little head nod of appreciation, and it just adds to the uplifting nature of the event."
Adding: “There’s something about dressing however you want and going outside, which feels way more emasculating.”
The event even sees anointed roles given to a King Neptune and Queen Mermaid every year, with hip-hop recording artists Kool Keith and Laurie Cumbo, the Commissioner of Cultural Affairs for the City of New York, carrying the title this year.
“Laurie Cumbo filled her Brooklyn district with art as a City Council member and strived in her new role to fill the entire city with art,” said Coney Island USA’s Artistic Director, Adam Rinn, during the parade.
Adding: “Having Kool Keith as the King of the Mermaid Parade is a dream come true and our way of celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, born just north of Coney Island in the Bronx. Kool Keith is one of the most unique performers in hip-hop, and we’re thrilled that he's part of the parade this year.”
In keeping with tradition, the King and Queen were wheeled through the march in an antique boardwalk rolling chair from 1923.
The ceremony is celebrated to formally open the ocean for the summer swimming season.
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