Mermaid Parade kicks off Coney Island summer

  Eyewitness NewsCONEY ISLAND (WABC) -- Colorful costumes and fabulous floats are just two of the hallmarks of New York's annual Mermaid Parade.

It's marks the unofficial start to summer on Coney Island.

The Mermaid Parade pays homage to Coney Island's forgotten Mardi Gras which lasted from 1903 to 1954.

Participants toss fruit into the Atlantic Ocean to appease the "sea gods".

The Mermaid Ball followed at the New York Aquarium.

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24th annual Fleet Week kicks off in New York City

  Eyewitness NewsNEW YORK (WABC) -- Wednesday marks the start of the 24th annual Fleet Week in New York City.

This year's celebration has added significance as troops return to the city that Osama bin Laden targeted 10 years ago.

The action kicked off this morning with the annual Parade of Ships.

Navy and Coast Guard vessels passed under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and fired off a gun salute near Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn.

The ships then passed Lower Manhattan, traveling up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge and then back down to their ports.

Of course, a major highlight of this year's fleet week is the return of the U.S.S. New York. It will be the ship's first trip back to the city since it was commissioned in 2009.

The New York is forged from 7.5 tons of recovered steel from the Twin Towers. And bin Laden's death, its presence here bears a special significance.

CLICK HERE for a full list of Fleet Week events!

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