The Statement:
Dear Friends of Coney Island USA:
It is with sadness that we announce the cancellation of the 2021 Mermaid Parade.
When we set the September date, we hoped that the Parade, the largest art parade in the nation and a point of civic pride for Coney Island, would represent a return to normalcy. Unfortunately, COVID-19 is not finished with us quite yet.
The Parade draws hundreds of thousands to Coney Island every year, including large numbers of children, many crowding onto mass transit for the ride out to Stillwell Avenue. It is the centerpiece of the CIUSA calendar, and we are very proud of the positive impact that the Parade has on our Coney Island community. However, the risks to our sponsors, patrons, community, and our wonderful staff—who have risen to every challenge—were too much to bear.
We are all disappointed and apologize to those of you who, like us, were looking forward to this annual celebration of life, creativity, and togetherness, post-2020.
Please be assured that the Mermaid Parade will return in 2022, better than ever!
In the meantime, help support Coney Island USA by attending one of our ticketed events, becoming a member, and above all—BY GETTING VACCINATED!!
—
from the Officers and Directors of Coney Island USA
*** end of statement ***
Piercing Ken Thoughts: This is sad but quite honestly some necessary action based on the overall amount of people that generally attend the Mermaid Parade. We’ve found a lot of changes coming down the pike like New York Comic Con setting up a controlled, and limited attendance while events like The NY Luxury Design Fair, New York International Auto Show, Summer Fancy Food Show and IMS Outdoors have all cancelled their upcoming events. While this sucks, its not infringing on your way of life and is aimed at protecting you from greater jeopardy. There is also a heavy insurance liability to worry about and that makes cancelling things a lot easier than dealing with any dire circumstances. Historically speaking, I’ve never been to the Mermaid Parade as its generally too hot on the day and super duper crowded and difficult to get some good shots unless you are right up close nice and early. I’ll stop now but know that I long for the day when we are all thanking the lucky stars for having made it through it all. See you again soon, please remain distant and wear a mask and while you might hate my saying this, “please get vaccinated”. Ciao.
Official: https://www.coneyisland.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mermaidparade