The Mermaids bring a message: Another world is possible.
Last weekend I attended the 18th Mermaid Festival in Marshall, NC. It was my first time, and it did not disappoint. Many humans came out to frolic. We all let ourselves lean into the strange. Counterculture prevailed and I soaked up the courage of people to let their eccentricities, their cleavage, and their crazy show.
I have always loved the poignancy of a parade. Even straight up conservative Christmas parades can make me cry. But a gathering of people sidling up to their circus selves? Sign me up. Mermaids, mermen, pirates and people-creatures reveled their way across the bridge that spans the French Broad River into the small town of Marshall. A hamlet that has risen like a phoenix since utter devastation from Helene.
I needed this. My bruised psyche aches for some relief from the tinny noise of the tyrannical overlords, and from the dulling down I unfortunately allow everyday tasks to create . And clearly hundreds of other people needed it too.
If you don’t know Marshall you might want to explore this unique place. Located in Madison County, about twenty miles from Asheville NC , Marshall nestles between river bluffs, train tracks and the storied French Broad river. It’s home to about 800 people, many who chose this place for the isolation, the beauty, the lower cost of living than Asheville, and the reverence for music and the arts. You don’t just end up here. Especially since I-26 was built. You have to want to be here, and for those that have made it home, the purposefulness is palpable.
Train tracks stretch along. Studios, galleries and good eateries abound. Not the least of which is the Old Marshall Jail and Hotel where history is alive, especially on nights when local ballads are crooned, craft beers are cold and fresh authentic food can be had. I urge you to pay a visit. Ponder on how a community is knit together by preserving its past, embracing the now, and allowing those from “off” to live amongst the multi-generational locals. There’s goodwill here. Who isn’t up for some goodwill?
What I saw and felt at this festival was an ecstatic brew of resilience and resistance. In 2025 I visited Marshall a few months after Hurricane Helene, and I couldn’t even understand how anyone thought recovery was possible. Let alone how people trudged through toxic mud and rubble for months. I’d call it a miracle except that would infer some otherworldly intervention. This comeback was realized by those willing to roll up their sleeves and slog thru even on days when I imagine it felt futile.
So after a hiatus in 2025, the Mermaid Festival brought us what we needed this year.
Anyone there must have felt the heartbeat of resistance marching across the bridge, down main street and back again.
In a time where our current national government is as corrupt and derelict as we’ve ever experienced, and terrorism and genocide are commonplace bedfellows, I believe many of us are suffering a collective depression. One long extended anxiety attack for which there’s no magic pill. On this one jubilant June afternoon I felt buoyed by the people of this town who met adversity head-on and built back better. May we all get thru this horrible fascist infested time. A different world is possible. Meanwhile, don’t be afraid to bedazzle an old dress and make your own private parade of resistance. And as you consider your next adventure, keep western NC in mind. We need you, and maybe you could use some of what’s to be found here also.
Here’s a few more images. In all of the galleries you can double click an image to see it full screen. I welcome any comments or reaction to the words and pictures. It’s nice to know they land somewhere sometimes. Julie 06/11/26
