Group planning mermaid festival offers birthday party packages

In addition to regular gatherings and the festival, N.C. Merfolk also performs at birthday parties, meet and greets, photo shoots and other events.

Posted 12:57 a.m. Jan 2, 2015 — Updated 12:57 a.m. Jan 2, 2015

I mentioned N.C. Merfest in my Weekend Plans post this week.

The second annual event will take place this weekend at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary. It features people from across the country who are dressed as mermaids and mermen. There will be mermaid and pirate-themed activities. The kids zone includes opportunities to swim with mermaids, including one dressed as Ariel from The Little Mermaid. There’s also a pirate school.

Tickets for the kids zone activities are $20. Parents who aren’t swimming don’t have to pay.

It's run by NC Merfolk, which swims together as a group three times a week at Triangle Aquatic Center. In addition to regular gatherings and the festival, they also perform at birthday parties, meet and greets, photo shoots and other events. The group donates a portion of its proceeds to charities that support sea turtles on the coast of North Carolina and other environmental causes.

Christopher Chandler, one of the group's founders, tells me that they perform across North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Children's parties include games, storytime and swimming. That would definitely put a unique twist on the usual pool party! Packages start at $200.

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