East End Merry Merfolk Invited To Partake In Annual East End Maritime Festival Parade

The Merry Merfolk Parade will once again parade down Front Street and travel through the Village of Greenport as part of the East End Seaport Museum & Marine Foundation’s 29th Annual East End Maritime Festival. Presented by Sirens’ Song Gallery and Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program, this year’s Parade will take place on Saturday, September 22, stepping off at 11 a.m.

“This is our 4th year working with event founder Sirens’ Song Gallery to be the featured beneficiary organization of the Merry Merfolk Parade,” Kimberly Barbour, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Suffolk County, Marine Program Outreach Manager, noted. “We are grateful for the opportunity to use the parade as a platform for outreach and education. Parade sponsorship opportunities are available and proceeds help support our work to give back to the bays.”

Attendees may show their adoration for local waters during the annual celebration of local maritime heritage by donning a creative costume inspired by their most beloved oceanic creature, merperson or even pirate. There will be an awards ceremony following the Parade – with awards bestowed for the best costume in each category – so make sure to really go all out.

“For this year’s parade we will focus on raising awareness of the shellfish restoration efforts we are conducting through the Long Island Shellfish Restoration Project,” Barbour explained. “We’ll have a special costume contest category for the best dressed bivalve! Judges include Leg. Al Krupski, Southold Town Trustee Nick Krupski, Greenport Village Trustee Mary Bess Phillips, and our very own Marine Program Director Chris Pickerell.” The Long Island Shellfish Restoration Project’s goal is to enlarge existing public shellfish hatcheries, as well as plant shellfish at sanctuary sites.

Additionally, Merry Merfolk Parade commemorative mugs will be available for purchase both onsite and online, and proceeds from sales will support Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Back to the Bays Initiative, which aims to get the community more involved in integral projects like water quality protection initiatives, habitat improvement projects, shellfish and finfish research and restoration and more.

“We have some great prizes so register today and get to work on designing your costume!” Barbour shared.

There is no admission fee to participate in The Merry Merfolk Parade, however registration is required to march.

The 29th Annual East End Maritime Festival will take place on Saturday, September 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, September 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A Land & Sea Gala Benefit will kick-off the festivities on Friday, September 21. For more information, visit www.eastendseaport.org.

For more information about The Merry Merfolk Parade, visit ccesuffolk.org.