Every June, summer unofficially kicks o with the annual Mermaid Parade. This year, 6/18 is the big day, where more than 3,000 artists and performers from the five boroughs and beyond converge on Coney Island in all their glory, marching along the shore and bringing the mythology of the mermaid to glorious life. Since 1983, the parade has fostered creative self- expression in one of the city’s most dynamic and distinctive neighborhoods. Add in a hot dog at Nathan’s and a ride on the iconic Cyclone, and you’re guaranteed a day of the very best that Brooklyn has to offer.