It's mermaid time again in Tucson

But, that’s the beauty of Return of the Mermaids, a full day event that celebrates life under the sea, right here in Tucson.

It’s “Tucson quirky and it’s beautiful,” says Lizzie Mead, owner of Silver Sea Jewelry on North Fourth Avenue and co-organizer of the event.

Inspired by the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, Mead and David Aguirre put ideas together three years ago to start a Tucson version, including mythology to go with the event: Every year when the clouds open up, the mermaids return.

The concept taps that longing for the ocean that we all have — a time when the desert was once an ocean, Aguirre says.

Each year the event has gotten bigger.

“The 2016 Return of the Mermaids parade will be more vibrant and colorful than ever,” Aguirre says. “There will be more costumes depicting life under the sea, including a giant squid with six puppeteers managing it, more mermaid photo booths, more decorations, and wave lighting that will turn the beach into an underwater playground. And there will be more free entertainment on both stages. This year we’ve added the Bella del Mar Pageant, which invites all costumed participants to be on stage in front of a jury. Prizes include a $100 gift certificate, $50 gift certificate and other assorted prizes.”

People are encouraged to dress up as mermaids, mermen, octopi, jellyfish, pirates or whatever, ahem, floats their boat, and swim over to North Fourth Avenue for in-store activities and to the Beach for an arts marketplace, starting at noon on Saturday, Aug.13.

In-store activities include a “Dinglehopper Workshop” at 2 p.m. at Silver Sea Jewelry, at 330 N. Fourth Ave. and “Mermaid Stories Told by a Mermaid” at 4 p.m. at Antigone Books, 411 N. Fourth Ave.

This year’s event has at least 20 arts vendors scheduled to sell their wares at the beach, compared to eight last year, Aguirre says.

Live music starts at 5 p.m. at the beach and you’ll get to meet Mermaid Odette starting at 6 p.m. at Haggerty Plaza on Fourth Ave. Who doesn’t want to meet a mermaid?

There’s also a kids’ costume contest at the plaza, with lots of fun prizes.

After the festivities on Fourth Ave., all sea creatures will line up and walk in a parade to the Beach for live entertainment and the Bella del Mar Pageant, which promotes body positivity.

“The mermaid pageant is for mermaids of all sizes and not focused on the loveliness of the mermaid, but on the creativity and craftiness of the costuming and the intelligence of their response to the judges’ complex cultural questions,” says Allison Dumka, who will be running the adult’s pageant.

The event happens, rain or shine, Mead says. In fact, she’s teaching the volunteers a squid dance to encourage people to dance in the rain, if it’s safe of course.

“If it rains, you are a fish, mermaid pirate or sailor,” Mead says. “So, you shouldn’t care if you get wet.”

If there are dangerous weather conditions, participants can take cover in one of the many businesses along Fourth Ave. until the storm passes.