TALE OF TAILS

Mermaids are on parade

Be prepared to witness a town square full of magic and Mer-people, as the Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest will be taking over downtown this Saturday.

One of the largest festivals that San Marcos hosts, it is sure to be a fantastic time filled with fun, small business vendors, music and food.

Mermaid Society Executive Director July Holbrook said this is the seventh festival and it would have been the eighth had it not been for the 2020 COVID-19 shutdowns.

She said that well over 5,000 people came out to the festival in 2022 and even more are expected this year.

“It continues to grow every year,” Holbrook said. “It’s becoming much more popular across the state.”

Holbrook added that, in 2016–the first year of the festival–the San Marcos Police Department said it was the largest parade San Marcos had ever had.

The parade, also known as the Mermaid Promenade, will move through the downtown streets from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and she said it is a mustsee event.

Holbrook said imme- diately following the parade is the downtown street fair that will feature over 145 vendors–a great chance to shop small and support local businesses–and food trucks as well. Shopping isn’t the only activity on the agenda, she said Rhythm and Blues bands will be performing all day at the courthouse, including Kathy Murray & the Kilowatts, Jamie Krueger and Ace Pepper Group.

There will also be cultural dance performances by Island Rhythm, Sway with Pray, the Midnight Breeze Dance Company, and the finale will be by Datzantes Asteca de Ojos Zorro.

She added that, because this is a family friendly event, there will be a kid’s zone with chalk and other activities as well as Once in a Wild–a mobile petting zoo–and Artable Curiosities—crafts with recycled materials.

For those Instagram- worthy moments, Holbrook said there will be a Mermaid Selfie Station located on the corner of San Antonio Street and Hopkins Street.

Holbrook invited everyone to come out to this free event and “get your Mermaid on.”

She stressed that the festival is not just fun, it is meaningful to the community.

“It’s really all about the pride that we have for San Marcos,” Holbrook said. “And the love that we have for this beautiful river running through our town.”

The Mermaid Society asks that while dressing up and decorating your booth, be mindful of microtrash that can be carried via run-off to our beautiful river–so please say no to the glitter, confetti and any other small plastic pieces that could harm our aquatic friends.

Also, the Mermaid Society will be working with Keep San Marcos Beautiful, which will provide Compost, Recycle and Landfill bins in an attempt to divert as much trash as possible from the landfill.

Holbrook said if anyone is interested in volunteering to help out with the festival, which is always greatly needed, call her at 512-8252819.