Defending the Honor of American Popular Culture

Hey Past and Future Judges,

Visualize how much fun you have being a Judge at the Mermaid Parade. I know, it may be a hazy memory to try to recover from your gray matter. But trust me, you had (or will have) a great time.

Well, your friends at Coney Island USA have decided to try to get a jump on all that merriment. We have created a Pre-Parade Judges Event.

The idea is that we'll all get together on the afternoon of Saturday, May 18th at 1 pm. The venue is Coney Island Baby in Manhattan’s East Village.

You'll get the incredible company of your fellow Judges plus these other perks we've planned:

- Live Band Karaoke
We know you judges aren't exactly bashful, so we're sure you'll enjoy a chance to sing along with the band. The theme is Gimme Gimme Shelter. That means songs by the Ramones and the Rolling Stones. We might throw in a few Coney Island-themed favorites as well.

- Bribe Exhibit
We will be displaying some of the more spectacular bribes from years past. Feel free to bring anything you may have collected.

- Actual Bribes (Technically “Pre-Bribes”)
Selected marchers have been invited to pre-bribe us. Be ready to get your fair share.

- Alcohol
Details are still being ironed out. But besides a cash bar, we're hoping to have some intoxicants available at no charge or a reduced rate.

- Associate Chief Justice Auction
Have you ever been pissed off at our Chief Justice for Life because he didn’t pick you to be an Associate Chief Justice? Well, put your money where your mouth is! Here’s your chance to bid on one of these coveted positions. As a reminder, Associate Chief Justices are supposed to be in charge of a particular award category. We say “supposed to be” because in the real world of the Mermaid Parade, things sometimes go awry.

- Mermaid Parade Trivia featuring The Voice of the Mermaid Parade, Chris T.

- Your First Beer is Courtesy of Coney Island Brewery (after that it is a cash bar).  

- More!
Expect the usual gang to present some hijinks.

So how do you get to go? It’s simple. Just register to be a Judge before the event. It’s easy to do that - become a member of Coney Island USA at the Mermaid Parade Judge level or higher:

https://www.coneyisland.com/become-member

What are you waiting for? Join (or rejoin) Coney Island USA and be part of the insanity on May 18th.

Judges, please RSVP to the event here.

Best,
Your Friends at Coney Island USA

Check out this years schedule here!