The non-profit multi-arts organization Coney Island USA has announced the official details for the 44th Annual Mermaid Parade, scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 20, 2026. This year’s celebration will be led by musician and New York native Jesse Malin as King Neptune and two-time Grammy winner Rickie Lee Jones as Queen Mermaid. The chosen royalty will be wheeled along the route in an antique wicker boardwalk rolling chair that dates back to 1923.
Considered the nation’s largest art parade, the annual event serves as the unofficial kick-off to the summer season in New York City. The parade pays homage to Coney Island’s historic Mardi Gras parades, which originally ran from 1903 to 1954. The celebration typically draws roughly 5,000 participants displaying handcrafted sea-themed costumes and elaborate floats alongside marching bands, drill teams, and antique cars.
The parade was originally founded in 1983 by Coney Island USA to achieve three main community goals. The organizers sought to bring mythology to life for local residents living on streets named Mermaid and Neptune, build self-esteem within the district, and provide public self-expression for artistic New Yorkers. The arts organization also operates the nearby Coney Island Circus Sideshow and houses the Coney Island Museum.
The parade route is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. at West 21st Street and Surf Avenue, moving eastward toward West 10th Street. At that intersection, the procession will turn south toward the boardwalk. Motorized floats and cars will continue down Surf Avenue to exit, while the marchers and push-pull floats will move west along the boardwalk toward Steeplechase Plaza.
Day-of-parade registration will operate from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. inside the designated parking lot located between 21st and 22nd Street and Surf Avenue. Following the main procession, at approximately 4:00 p.m., Coney Island USA Artistic Director Rinn will lead a final ceremonial walk to the beach at 19th Street. This closing ritual officially opens the ocean waters for the summer swimming season.
King Jesse Malin is a Nashville-based, New York-bred solo musician who recently made his Off-Broadway debut in the stage show Silver Manhattan, which earned a 2026 Drama Desk Award nomination. Queen Rickie Lee Jones is an American musician and storyteller whose career includes eight Grammy nominations and a celebrated memoir titled Last Chance Texaco. The two artists join a historical roster of previous celebrity leaders that includes Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, David Byrne, and Queen Latifah.
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