IOSCO COUNTY– The first annual Pirates and Mermaids Festival was held August 1–2, and drew thousands to Oscoda Beach Park for a celebration of originality, community, and clean water. The event ended with a Guinness World Records certificate.
500 people dressed as mermaids and mermen lined up on the boardwalk, meeting the strict guidelines required by Guinness World Records. Each participant had to wear a full mermaid tail or costume and remain in place for at least five minutes. The moment was documented by drone footage, photographers, and cheering spectators.
The event was organized by Oscoda Citizens for Clean Water (OCCW), a local nonprofit that supports the community action group Need Our Water (NOW). OCCW board member Elyssa Steward served as festival director.
The previous record was set in the Bahamas on November 8, 2022, with 457 “mer-people” gathered on the beaches of Bimini. Oscoda’s sunny August afternoon shattered that number. Guinness World Records adjudicator Chloe McCarthy announced the victory and presented the official plaque to Steward and OCCW president and NOW co-founder Cathy Wusterbarth.
The festival also featured more than 50 vendors and three traveling mermaid tanks.
