The Headless Horseman isn't the only mythical creature hanging out in Sleepy Hollow. Rumor has it there may be mermaids in the village, too, making it a potential summertime destination for water and land lovers alike.
There's only one way to find out if the rumor is true: head to the Sleepy Hollow Mermaid Festival this weekend and see for yourself.
The inaugural Sleepy Hollow Mermaid Festival
From Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 20, local performers, food trucks, artists and more will gather in Kingsland Point Park for Sleepy Hollow’s first Mermaid Festival, part of the village’s yearlong 150th anniversary celebration.
There are a ton of activities in store for those looking for family-friendly entertainment this weekend, like face painting, sea shanty performances, bounce houses, a historical scavenger hunt and two different costume parades, one on land and one on the river.
Attendees may even see — and be able to take photos with — a real mermaid.
But perhaps the most exciting part of this eclectic event is that the beach will be open. Not an easy feat to complete, partners Riverkeeper, Rivertowns SUP & Yoga, and the village of Sleepy Hollow came together with organizers of the festival, the Sleepy Hollow Project, to open the beach to the public.
Inspired by the lack of access to pools and beaches in Sleepy Hollow, festival organizers Gina Carey, Megan Isenstadt and Fay Serafica started planning in December of 2023 this creative way of getting the beach open and showing people the river is usable.
The idea started out as a beach party and quickly evolved into a narrower focus.
Festival celebrates Hudson River's history, raises awareness
The goal, the organizers said, is to gather experts like Riverkeeper to educate the community about the river’s history, how to take care of it and how to interact with it.
“The Mermaid Festival is not only going to be a lot of fun, but it supports a very important message — celebrating the Hudson River, the history of our area, and promoting clean water and water access,” said Tara Scheller, owner and founder of local business Rivertowns SUP & Yoga, one of the festival’s partners.
“There’s not really good, hopeful stories about the environment,” Isenstadt said. “But the Hudson is actually a good one because it was a perfectly pristine river. Humans messed it up royally and polluted it.”
One of the largest Superfund sites in the country, organizers said the Hudson garnered a reputation for its inability to be used. But after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) committed to reducing contamination, and years of clean-up efforts, wildlife began returning to the river — a good sign.
“You can turn it around,” Isenstadt said. “If something is polluted, it’s not always going to be polluted."
Of interest:EPA needs more fish data to see if PCB pollution cleanup in upper Hudson River meets goals
“There's parts that are impacted by sewage, and there's parts that are totally safe to use,” she continued. “That’s sort of what we’re trying to get people to understand. It’s not this gigantic body of water that is all off limits.”
Fostering connection between the community and the river is also tantamount, one of the partners for the festival, Tracy Brown, said.
“We have made great progress in cleaning up the Hudson,” said Brown, Riverkeeper's president. “In order to keep that momentum going, we need more people getting in the water and developing that direct connection with this beautiful waterway.”
The festival’s partners — and its many artists, performers, food trucks and myriad other participants — got on board with this message, and the Mermaid Festival, with its focus on educating the public about the Hudson River, came to be.
There’s just one other thing the festival’s organizers hope people get out of the festival: inspiration.
“I hope that people come here and leave with some new ideas of their own,” Isenstadt said. “Ways to make something that seems kind of impossible — like a mermaid — happen.”
If you go: Inaugural Sleepy Hollow Mermaid Festival
When: Noon-4 p.m., Saturday, July 20. (Rain date is Saturday, July 27.)
Where: Kingsland Point Park, Tarrytown Light-Kingsland Point Path, Sleepy Hollow.
Parking: Limited parking is available at Kingsland Point Park. Limited street parking is available outside of the park.
What to know about beach access at the Sleepy Hollow Mermaid Festival
The beach will be open to attendees. Swimming depends on weather and conditions of the water on the day of the festival. Life guards will be present. Organizers highly recommend water shoes and wearing a swimsuit under your clothes or costume and/or bringing a change of clothes. There are no locker rooms for changing. Limited bathrooms will be available.
Sleepy Hollow Mermaid Fest has two costume parades
A costume parade on land: The land parade requires registration in advance or day of. It is free to participate. Parade begins at 1 p.m. Organizers recommend arriving from noon to 12:30 p.m. Costumes are highly encouraged, and river-themed costumes are greatly appreciated. That could mean mermaids, pirates, ships, fish or other water creatures. Learn more and sign up at hudsonrivermermaids.com/mermaid-parade-registration.
A costume parade in the water: The river parade requires advanced registration and a fee for equipment rentals. Costs depend on equipment choice. Parade begins at 1 p.m. Organizers recommend arriving from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to check in and drop off equipment. Costumes are required to participate. Equipment can be dropped off at the lower parking level outside the Kathryn Davis RiverWalk Center, 299 Palmer Avenue, Sleepy Hollow. Learn more and sign up at rivertownssupyoga.com/mermaid-festival.
To learn more about the Sleepy Hollow Mermaid Festival, visit its website at hudsonrivermermaids.com/festival-details.
Are you organizing an event you'd like to share with the community? Reach out to Samantha Antrum, lohud's community news and outreach reporter, at santrum@lohud.com.
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