(Photo Gallery) – Eighth Annual Mermaid Promenade & Market

Mermaid Society of Texas member Angelica Hogan (Left), founder July Holbrook (Center) and Laura Cardona (Right) celebrate the successful end of the 8th Mermaid Capital of Texas Festival by jumping in the San Marcos River, Saturday, May 17, 2025. The Mermaid Society of Texas organizes the festival and inspires river preservation through art, education, and cultural initiatives.

Employees from Lotus Moon Belly Dance of New Braunfels dance as they ride in a float in the Mermaid Promenade, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in downtown San Marcos.

A goat walks in the Mermaid Promenade with the Prevent a Litter (PALS) float, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in downtown San Marcos.

A grandfather holds his granddaughter as the walk in the Mermaid Promenade, Saturday, May 17, 2025, at Mermaid Fest in downtown San Marcos.

Mermaid Fest attendees pose for a selfie together, Saturday, May 17, 2025, at Mermaid Fest in downtown San Marcos.

Rio Vista Air’s float, featuring a man playing saxophone, drives in the Mermaid Promenade, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in downtown San Marcos.

Jenn, a trainer with Total Wellness San Marcos, performs in the Mermaid Promenade, Saturday, May 17, 2025, at Mermaid Fest in downtown San Marcos.

A woman dressed as a mermaid rides in the back of Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra float during the Mermaid Promenade, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in downtown San Marcos.

Acayla Haile of MorenciArtwork promotes her mermaid shell crowns and Acrylic Painting featuring the San Marcos River at the Aqua Blues Music and Art Festival, part of the Mermaid Fest celebrations in Plaza Park, Saturday, May 17, 2025.

A woman poses in front of the Total Wellness at San Marcos Activity Center float during the Mermaid Promenade, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in downtown San Marcos.

The Dallas Mermaid Experience walks in the Mermaid Promenade, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in downtown San Marcos.

The Prevent a Litter (PALS) float featuring a man holding a mermaid puppet is drives in the Mermaid Promenade,Saturday, May 17, 2025, in downtown San Marcos.

The Midnight Breeze Belly Dance Troupe performs on the San Marcos Activity Center float in the Mermaid Promenade, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in downtown San Marcos.

Broke Thespian’s Theatre Company previews Shrek the Musical, their fourth annual summer musical in their park, in the Mermaid Promenade, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in downtown San Marcos.

A mini mermaid receives a free sno-cone at the Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest in downtown San Marcos, Saturday, May 17, 2025. The festival promotes sustainability and stewardship of the San Marcos River.

A hot rod carrying a woman dressed like a mermaid closes out the Mermaid Promenade, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in downtown San Marcos.

A Mermaid Fest attendee stares at a snake that is often brought by a local San Marcos resident to festivals and farmers markets, Saturday, May 17, 2025, at Mermaid Fest in downtown San Marcos.

AI Runs Us Dry, an organization that protests the building of an artificial intelligence center in San Marcos walks in the Mermaid Promenade to share information about their cause, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in downtown San Marcos.

Dillon Scott aka Sun God, shares his lore with San Marcos residents, Saturday, May 17, 2025, at Mermaid Fest in downtown San Marcos. Sun God is a campus icon who worships the sun, by performing rhythmic dance and yelling at Sewell Park.

The ​​Tejas Grotto, an appendant body of the Freemasons drives their mini-Jeeps in the Mermaid Promenade, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in downtown San Marcos.

Learning From Water float features a plush fish waving outside of the window in the Mermaid Promenade, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in downtown San Marcos.

S.M.T.X. Bagpipers perform during the Mermaid Promenade parade at the Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in downtown San Marcos.