You don't think mermaids exist? Naysayers can go to Waxahachie, for all I care, to see with your own eyes the finned women among us.
April 8 through May 29, four mermaids will take up temporary residence in the Mermaid Lagoon, located in the serene part of the village at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie.
As the legend goes -- or so says Scarborough Renaissance Festival Entertainment Director Barbara Geary -- four mermaids treaded waters from around the world to get to the festival in time for King Henry VIII's celebration honoring his daughter, Princess Mary Tudor. The tale is that they glided through the sea with silky soft tresses, wearing a starfish bra and smiling at sailors. They landed in landlocked Waxahachie, their 5- to 6-foot-long tails glimmering in shades of gold, green, copper-blue and silver-blue just waiting to take photos with kids and families.
Naturally, you might be wondering if these mermaids are old gal pals, but the Scarborough story is they come from different oceans and for different reasons. Princess Echo hails from Galway Bay in Ireland.
"I realized that bringing magic into the hearts of others was my one true dream," she says.
Another mermaid, Aysun, is said to come from the cold Black Sea, but she's got a knack for warming human hearts with her sailor jokes. She also loves sharing what she knows about the sea with warm-blooded friends: "I plan on continuing to teach the young -- and young at heart -- about the sea, the unique fish that live there ... as well as answering any questions they may have about mermaids and the magical realm of the Scarborough Renaissance Festival," she says.
Echo and Aysun have both attended the festival in past years. A third mermaid, Isla, brings a tropical vibe from the Pacific Ocean, and she'll be returning to Scarborough again this year, too.
We know less about the fourth spotted mermaid, Aura. She's apparently come in search of her "love lost at sea," an unnamed sailor.
Admission to the Mermaid Lagoon is free with admission to Scarborough Renaissance Festival, but a tour time must be booked in advance. Tour times are available every 15 minutes, except from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. when the mermaids go to lunch.
