Spending Sunday in the park with mermaids in the East Village

BY BOB KRASNER

What do you do when one of your favorite events – the Mermaid Parade – is cancelled due to COVID-19? If you are MC/Actor/Performer Christopher Hardwick and Abby Gehman, owner of the bar “Lucky” on Avenue B, you get your friends together on the corner of 10th Street and Avenue B for a “Renegade Mermaid Parade.”

Actually, Hardwick tells us, they had the blessing of the Mermaid Parade folks to call it that, so it was more of an authorized renegade event (and who doesn’t love a good oxymoron?).

A couple dozen fabulous examples of creativity and visual wit paraded around mostly for the benefit of each other, as it was not a widely publicized event.

Spending Sunday in the park with mermaids in the East Village 2 — Samara was also a prize winner. She was personally responsible for creating her mask and the boat that rode on a sea of purple. (Photo by Bob Krasner)

Spending Sunday in the park with mermaids in the East Village 3 — Craig the Fish Head swam away with first prize. (Photo by Bob Krasner)

Spending Sunday in the park with mermaids in the East Village 4 — Ain Lotz, competig in an outfit of her own design. (Photo by Bob Krasner)

“We just wanted to be in costume and bring life and positivity to Avenue B,” explained Hardwick.

Passersby who happened upon the scene got to see the fashion show/costume contest, as participants competed runway style for a prize package containing a feather boa and gift certificates for restaurants and bars on Avenue B.

When the show was over and the prizes were disbursed, Gehman generously bought the crew drinks at “Dream Baby”, putting the icing on the cake for a very happy group.