Debbie Harry Reigns Over NYC’s Mermaid Parade

Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of Blondie reigned over a waterlogged edition of New York City’s zany Mermaid Parade.

Michael Noble Jr/AP Photo – Debbie Harry
Appearing at the 35th Annual Mermaid Parade, in New York

The rockers known for songs like “Rapture” and “Heart of Glass” were Mermaid Queen and King Neptune at Saturday’s parade at Coney Island. Crowds cheered as they were wheeled along the parade route in a wicker chair.

Drenching rain greeted the parade-goers dressed as mermaids, fish and other aquatic creatures. The downpour let up by the end of the festivities.

One group in red costumes carried a banner that said “The Handmermaids of Gillead.” The reference was to the Hulu series and Margaret Atwood book “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

The Mermaid Parade was founded in 1983 and draws hundreds of thousands of revelers to the beach each year.