Coney Island Mermaid Parade: March Of The Boobies

Of all the freaky places to hang out in New York City, perhaps no place attracts more freaks (and lets you shoot paintball guns at them) then Coney Island. Home to all manner of assorted weirdness, one of the grand traditions of the neighborhood is the annual Mermaid Parade, where wild boys and (mostly) girls put on their best homemade costumes and bodypaint and strut around like they own the place (which they basically do.) Also, there's boobs ... thousands and thousands of boobs. Painted, be-tasseled, jiggly and free ... you'll never find a better place to march down the boulevard without your shirt on. Or ogle absentmindedly without having the cops called on you. Voyeur-in-training Alex Goldberg investigates.

· Related: 25 Years Of Mermaids On Parade (photo gallery @ Gawker)

· Photos tagged with "mermaidparade" (Flickr)

Previously: Folsom Street East Redux: What The Camera Saw, Bring On The Babes Of Summer