Imaginative sea creatures pose at the 2010 Mermaid Parade at Coney Island June 19, 2010 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City - Coney Island Mermaid Parade takes place every year in Coney Island, New York in mid-to-late June. The Parade is a lively and welcoming ocean-themed event open to everyone. The tradition of the Coney Island Mermaid Parade began in 1983, and features participants dressed as mermaids and other sea creatures while paying homage to the former tradition of the Coney Island Mardi Gras which ran annually in the early fall from 1903-1954. The first event of this kind was conceptualized and organized by Dick Zigun, who is sometimes dubbed the “Mayor of Coney Island”, and who was the founder of the non-profit arts group Coney Island USA. The Mermaid Parade is held in celebration of the beginning of the summer season, and so it traditionally takes place on the Saturday closest to the calendar start of summer, regardless of the weather.