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Family-Friendly Version of the Mermaid Parade Set to Roll Through Rockaways

By Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska | September 17, 2015 12:47pm
 Poseidon's Parade launches this weekend in Rockaway Beach, over a 10-block stretch of the new boardwalk.
Poseidon's Parade launches this weekend in Rockaway Beach, over a 10-block stretch of the new boardwalk.
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Courtesy of Poseidon's Parade

QUEENS — The summer fun isn’t over yet.

The inaugural Poseidon's Parade launches this weekend in Rockaway Beach, over a 10-block stretch of the new boardwalk.

The family-friendly event, inspired by the famed Mermaid Parade, seeks to encourage creativity as well as celebrate ancient mythology and the ocean, according to organizers The Rockaway Mermaid Brigade — a locally-run group who have been representing the peninsula at the Coney Island event for years. 

"We're honoring the ocean and artistic expression, like we experience each year in Coney Island," said Casey Brouder, a teacher, artist and organizer of the parade. 

The parade, which the group plans to hold annually, kicks off on Saturday, at 11 a.m. It begins at Beach 106th Street and ends at the Beach 95th Street plaza, where there will be a small festival for children at the "Under the Sea Lounge," featuring a DJ and dance party, face painting and crafts. 

"Poseidon is a symbol that speaks to the resilience of Rockaway,” Brouder said. “After all we have been through as a community, we can pay homage to the strong and beautiful ocean we can't seem to live without."

Those interested in marching are encouraged to pre-register at PoseidonsParade.com. The registration fee is $5 per person and floats are $10 (motorized floats are not allowed.) Sea-inspired costumes and floats are encouraged. There are prizes for costumes and floats, including homemade trophies and books.