The California Mermaid Convention
California Mermaid Convention (various venues in Sacramento, including Old Sacramento Waterfront and Dive Bar), 6511 Hwy 175, Hopland, CA 95449
About
The California Mermaid Convention is a three-day event that includes swim play, costuming, shopping, entertainment, meetings, workshops, lectures, performances, photo shoots, contests, parades, clean ups, group swims in tail, a costumed ball, and live entertainment. Activities also include panels and lectures from professional mermaids, choreographed and costumed performances, swimming shows, swim sessions with a variety of merfolk, open group swims, sword fighting, music, and meet and greet or crowd interaction.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: May 15–17, 2026
The California Mermaid Convention is described as the best mermaid event on the West Coast and as the longest running mermaid themed convention in the world, and it was previously known as Mermaid Weekend in Sacramento. Some events are completely free to the public, the first 25 guests to enter the convention on Saturday and Sunday receive a holographic vinyl bag from Visit Rancho Cordova, and Discovery tails and other special Finfolk items are available for purchase at the convention. The Promenade of Mermaids first ran in 2010 and includes mermaids, pirates, steam-punk walruses in wheelchairs, and dogs dressed like lobsters, and it marches and dances through a historic area that is full of shops and restaurants.
Mermaid and Mom was founded by mother and daughter team Laurie and Rachel Smith, and Mermaid and Mom strives to bring children's mermaid entertainment to pools in the Northern California area and gives back to the local Sacramento community. Pixie Tribe Entertainment was founded in 2015 by Ashley Rastad, a professional children's entertainer with nearly 1,000 parties, and Pixie Tribe Entertainment is part of the convention leadership. Rachel Smith has been the Head Mermaid at the Dive Bar in Sacramento, California since it opened in 2011. Captain Angus is on the convention team as Producer, Master of Ceremonies, Convention Consultant, and Head Builder. John Rastad assumed leadership of the Promenade of Mermaids in 2017 and is part of the core team of the California Mermaid Convention as a panel moderator. Merman Jax is a past convention producer, consultant, and event sponsor. Mermaid Krista entered the mermaid community in 2012 and joined the Dive Bar Mermaids in 2014. Marisa Renee (Risa Mermaid) has been a licensed cosmetologist since 2011, works out of The HairPort in Fair Oaks, California, and specializes in color and hand-tied extensions.
The California Mermaid Convention has been running for over a decade. The event has a strict Code of Conduct. Dive Bar Sacramento has undersea décor and a 40-foot tank above the bar and is one of the few brick and mortar mermaid themed locations in the United States with swimming shows every single day. The Brotherhood of the Black Flag has performed throughout the West Coast since the early 2000s and is associated with the convention. The California Mermaid Convention partners with Visit Rancho Cordova, a local travel and tourism organization. Visit Rancho Cordova describes the California Mermaid Convention in Rancho Cordova as quintessentially quirky, refreshingly inclusive, and daringly bold, and notes that it draws worldwide mermaid hobbyists, seasoned performers, and journalists while providing a relaxed and welcoming experience for visitors and bringing economic impact to the community.
Last updated July 3, 2026.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: May 15–17, 2026
The California Mermaid Convention is described as the best mermaid event on the West Coast and as the longest running mermaid themed convention in the world, and it was previously known as Mermaid Weekend in Sacramento. Some events are completely free to the public, the first 25 guests to enter the convention on Saturday and Sunday receive a holographic vinyl bag from Visit Rancho Cordova, and Discovery tails and other special Finfolk items are available for purchase at the convention. The Promenade of Mermaids first ran in 2010 and includes mermaids, pirates, steam-punk walruses in wheelchairs, and dogs dressed like lobsters, and it marches and dances through a historic area that is full of shops and restaurants.
Mermaid and Mom was founded by mother and daughter team Laurie and Rachel Smith, and Mermaid and Mom strives to bring children's mermaid entertainment to pools in the Northern California area and gives back to the local Sacramento community. Pixie Tribe Entertainment was founded in 2015 by Ashley Rastad, a professional children's entertainer with nearly 1,000 parties, and Pixie Tribe Entertainment is part of the convention leadership. Rachel Smith has been the Head Mermaid at the Dive Bar in Sacramento, California since it opened in 2011. Captain Angus is on the convention team as Producer, Master of Ceremonies, Convention Consultant, and Head Builder. John Rastad assumed leadership of the Promenade of Mermaids in 2017 and is part of the core team of the California Mermaid Convention as a panel moderator. Merman Jax is a past convention producer, consultant, and event sponsor. Mermaid Krista entered the mermaid community in 2012 and joined the Dive Bar Mermaids in 2014. Marisa Renee (Risa Mermaid) has been a licensed cosmetologist since 2011, works out of The HairPort in Fair Oaks, California, and specializes in color and hand-tied extensions.
The California Mermaid Convention has been running for over a decade. The event has a strict Code of Conduct. Dive Bar Sacramento has undersea décor and a 40-foot tank above the bar and is one of the few brick and mortar mermaid themed locations in the United States with swimming shows every single day. The Brotherhood of the Black Flag has performed throughout the West Coast since the early 2000s and is associated with the convention. The California Mermaid Convention partners with Visit Rancho Cordova, a local travel and tourism organization. Visit Rancho Cordova describes the California Mermaid Convention in Rancho Cordova as quintessentially quirky, refreshingly inclusive, and daringly bold, and notes that it draws worldwide mermaid hobbyists, seasoned performers, and journalists while providing a relaxed and welcoming experience for visitors and bringing economic impact to the community.
Last updated July 3, 2026.
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