The Coney Island Mermaid Parade, as decadent, naked, colorful and fun as it is, marks the official opening of the Atlantic Ocean for New York Beach goers each June.

Dick Zigun, founder and top executive of Coney Island USA and the creator of the parade explains in this episode how and why it all started, what to expect and where best to watch it. Zigun also outlines the summer activities at Coney Island USA and the Sideshow by the Seashore for this summer.

Staying close to the Atlantic Ocean, Ripley’s Chad Netherland, the manager of the Ripley attractions on the boulevard in Myrtle Beach tells us what’s happening both at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and what’s new along the boardwalk in that South Carolina beach refuge.

The World’s best known Side Show operator, Ward Hall, tells us that during the early 20th century handicapped and deformed humans had few ways to make a living and that some found gainful employment on sideshows. He tells the story of Dickie Brisbane – The Penguin Boy – who worked for him for 25 years before retiring. Hall took the boy out of a life of squalor, got him off government welfare to eventually make a very good living on the midway.

Intern Abby reports a feel-good story about a dog that opened several doors and found a bathtub full of water to save herself from a house fire!

And we hear about the latest in body modification – elfin ears. Spock anyone? Barry Anderson, head of Ripley’s art department drops by and recalls some very funny stories about his career as a B-movie makeup artist prior to his career at Ripley’s. This episode marks the start of a four-week series of remote broadcasts at the World’s Largest Entertainment McDonald’s, located in Orlando, Fla.