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The Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest is set to take place Saturday, Sept. 24 in downtown San Marcos with the Mermaid Promenade from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and the Downtown Street Faire between 12-7 p.m. Above, Mermaid Society SMTX A.R.R.R.T. Director Jamie Lynn Shelton, and Senior Ambassador AquaReina Team members Mary O’Hara and Laura Cardona. Daily Record photo by Nick Castillo. Below, the Mermaid Promenade traverses through the streets of downtown San Marcos in 2021. Daily Record file photo by Gerald Castillo

MERMAID TAKEOVER: Mermaid Society SMTX ready to celebrate parade, street faire

Saturday, September 3, 2022

Mermaid Society SMTX is gearing up to celebrate all things mermaid.

The Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest is set to take place Saturday, Sept. 24 in downtown San Marcos. July Moreno, founder and executive director of Mermaid Society SMTX, said the nonprofit organization will be “taking over downtown” with the Mermaid Promenade from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. followed by the downtown street faire between noon and 7 p.m.

“It’s gonna be fantastic,” Moreno said. “We have over 140 vendors. We’re sold out. We’ll close down streets adjacent to the courthouse … The point of that is to keep the foot traffic downtown to really benefit the retailers and businesses downtown. That’s proven to be very successful last year, so we’re continuing that.”

Moreno said the promenade and street faire will feature a wide array of dancers — Polynesian dance, Korean dance, belly dancers and Aztec dancers — as well as live music. She said those planning to attend can expect a joyful event.

“I mean, who doesn’t love mermaids? It’s just such a fun thing,” Moreno said. “It’s very positive. It’s a very family-friendly event. So, I think that’s definitely something people can look forward to … I think what they can expect is something very unusual, and I think that that’s what makes it unique to San Marcos. Nowhere else are you going to see this. It’s right in San Marcos and you have to be here to see it.”

Moreno said Mermaid Society purposely selected September as the month to celebrate mermaids.

“It comes right after summertime, which is usually very slow for our businesses downtown because of students leaving for vacation,” Moreno said. “So, this is kind of built to be a shot in the arm, economic impact to bring that sort of energy back into downtown.”

Jamie Lynn Shelton, Mermaid Society SMTX A.R.R.R.T (Art. Reuse. Recycle. Reimagine together) Director, said the Mermaid month celebration shows off the art and culture of San Marcos.

“What I love about the mermaid is that it is the perfect amalgamation of the human side — the community — and the nature side of the river and our environment,” Shelton said. “So, the Mermaid is the perfect embodiment of what San Marcos is: the community and the environment. So, for me, that’s what Mermaid month is about is bringing those two things together.”

The sixth annual Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest is set for Sept. 24. Above, a mermaid float at the 2021 Mermaid Promenade. Daily Record file photo by Gerald Castillo

Alongside the Mermaid Promenade and Downtown Street Fair, the fourth annual River Guardianship Symposium 2022 will take place Wednesday, Sept. 14. The symposium will take place at Texas Rock House, 3207 Hunter Road in San Marcos, from 5-8 p.m.

This year’s Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest events come after San Marcos was given the designation in 2021 by the Gov. Greg Abbott and the 87th Texas Legislature. Moreno said they’ve been able to have fun with the Mermaid Capital designation.

“This whole festival has been designed to be an identity-destination event,” Moreno said. “Before, it was called the Mermaid Splash. Now, it’s officially called the Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest. We want people to come out. We want people to come visit our city. See how beautiful our river is and get to know our city. They may come for the parade but hopefully they come back to stay longer and visit and really invest in our community.”

San Marcos Record

(512) 392-2458
P.O. Box 1109, San Marcos, TX 78666