Steeplechase Pier, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NYC 6/20/26: I walked with the Coney Island Mermaid Parade route from around West 16th Street and Surf Avenue and West 8th Street and Surf Avenue a couple of times before following the parade to its conclusion on the boardwalk.
I wandered around, getting random photos of folks and just digging everything: The older Puerto Rican men playing freestyle and salsa on bluetooth speakers. Occasionally, they might be accompanied by live percussion. The costumes! The colors! Laughter, smiles, hugs and high fives and daps. The shouts of people on the rides. The smell of hot dogs and fries. Folks selling nutcrackers and cocktails from coolers . . .
I walked down most of Steeplechase Pier. The sky went on forever. Looking back at the shore, you can hear Fogo Azul’s massive percussive thump as revelers jumped onto remarkably clean water. I can’t say that I’ve ever seen the water look this clean . . .
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