Pray for good weather for this iconic event. A parade of people dressed as mermaid and mermen in Coney Island It is as wonderful and zany as it sounds and always worth a visit to Coney Island.

Coney Island USA, the organizers of the parade, have a very helpful Q&A on their website. Here’s an excerpt:

What day is the Parade?
Saturday, June 19, 2010, rain or shine.

Who is this years King and Queen?
Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson!

What time does the Parade start?
The Mermaid Parade starts at 2 PM!

What time does the Parade end?
Hard to say, but it usually all wraps up at around 5:30 PM or so. The winners in each category are announced as soon as the last entrant passes the reviewing stand. Immediately after, Parade founder Dick D. Zigun leads the King and Queen procession up 10st to the beach for the opening of the Ocean for the summer swimming season.

Where does the Parade take place?
The Parade will start on West 21st and the Surf Avenue. It will roll East to West 10th Street, where the cars and motorized floats will park. The marchers and push pull floats will go to the Boardwalk and march West to Stillwell Ave. where the Parade will Disband.

Where’s the best place to watch the Parade?
That’s entirely up to you.  Many people like to watch the Parade on the boardwalk, but the boardwalk only features marchers and push-pull floats.  Surf Avenue allows viewing of antique cars and motorized floats as well.

Where is the Reviewing Stand?
It is on Surf Avenue just east of West 12th Street, across West 12th Street from the Sideshow building.

Is it ok to bring kids to the Parade?
The Mermaid Parade is an art parade and is for everyone, just keep in mind that some folks will be dressed as Mermaids and Mermen who, let’s face it, aren’t historically known for wearing much clothing. That being said, we’ve always had a ton of kids in the Parade, (even a little girl’s Birthday party or two!) but it’sentirely up to you as a parent or guardian to decide what you feel is appropriate for your kids.

Who puts on the Parade?
We do! Coney Island USA the resident not for profit arts center in Coney Island. We are headquartered at 1208 Surf Ave between West 12th street and Stillwell Ave. You can help support the parade by supporting all of our programs throughout the year, buying merchandise at our giftshop, having a beer, soda or bottled water at the Freak Bar! And another great way to show your appreciation is to become a member of Coney Island USA! Memberships start at only $25 and include free admission to the sideshow and museum!