The parade, created in honor of Coney Island’s Mardi Gras that ran from 1903 to 1954, celebrates Coney Island’s mythology, art and self-expression. This year, the parade was bigger than ever, with performers from Ringling Brothers Circus in attendance, among the 300-plus paraders.

Dick Zigun, who founded the parade in 1983 to revitalize the then-dilapidated amusement park, said the parade gets bigger every year. Indeed, this year, after a long battle with the City, the parade was expanded by three blocks.

Many of the revelers carried signs that read “Don’t shrink Coney, fix the plan!” in light of the City Planning Commission’s recent rezoning decision that would put four high-rises into what is now the amusement district – significantly shrinking the size of the historic strip. Save Coney Island and other community organizations are urging the City to reconsider.