Mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, one of Florida’s oldest roadside attractions, reflect on a 76-year-long tradition.It wasn’t often a car would pass along U.S. 19, but when the slow rumble approached Weeki Wachee Springs, named by the Seminole Tribe, the mermaids would be waiting: smiling prettily in their bathing suits, beckoning vehicles to enter their employer’s parking lot. In 1946, former U.S.
“There was a real camaraderie among the mermaids that I wasn’t expecting,” says photographer Chantal Anderson. “These moments before the show felt so intimate and serene. The mermaids do their own makeup — it was so sisterly and sweet, all of them sitting close while getting ready. It reminded me of when you’re doing makeup with friends, practicing in the mirror together.”
Mermaids perform three 45-minute shows per day to a 400-seat auditorium. Alum Catherine LaMondra recalls the pre-show routine: “I’d arrive at 9 a.m. When first starting, you’re either dry practicing choreography in front of a mirror or getting into the water to practice for the first 30 minutes. At 10 a.m., we’d all do our makeup and discuss what color tails we were going to wear for the show. By 10:45, we would head to the back dock to put our tails on.
“I graduated high school at 17. I had been a cheerleader for all four years … Two of my closest friends had graduated the year before and were swimming at Weeki Wachi Spring as mermaids,” recalls Vicki Smith, a former mermaid. “They called me with stories of how much fun it was: meeting movie stars, having their picture taken, signing autographs. But most of all, they had discovered thePhotographs from Vicki Smith’s personal archive.“The training process was long and challenging,” says LaMondra.
“When ABC bought out the spring in 1959, everything changed! We had beautiful fancy swimsuits,” Smith remembers. “A retired Rockette from New York came to teach us ballet moves. She also created the first costumed show,… I remember swimming for Elvis in ’61 — he was very soft spoken and polite. He gave each one of us an autographed album of his recent hits. Mine said, ‘To Vicki, Best regards, Elvis.
“During my time at Weeki, I sewed and mended many of the costumes,” says Elizabeth Wilder, a Florida native and former mermaid who grew up visiting the park. “The tails are made by a local seamstress to custom fit each girl. As the years go on, certain tails are passed down between generations. Instead of saying,. For the everyday wear and tear, we learned how to mend them on our own.”
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