On a hot and humid morning on June 30 at the Forest Park Aquatic Center, more than two dozen children and family members gathered under a big umbrella to escape the heat by diving head-on into mermaid-led story time for kids up to 8 years old.
The event was put on in collaboration with the Forest Park Public Library and the Park District of Forest Park, with entertainment from Windy City Mermaids.
Sitting inside her shiny-pinky clamshell throne, surrounded by her thingamabobs, and wearing green and purple iridescent accessories, Larissa Kaye – better known as her mermaid persona, Mermaid Spooky – created a fairytale experience for families to remember for years to come.
As Mermaid Spooky splashed into story time, she offered some deep-sea gadgets and gizmos to help set the ocean setting. She read both “Bubbly Beautiful Kitty-Corn,” written by Shannon Hale and illustrated by LeUyen Pham, and “Mermaids Are the Worst!” by Alex Willan.
Before things got a little too hot and everyone needed to take a dip in the pool, these families were taken on the oceanic experience of a lifetime
A mom with her two kids pose for a picture with Mermaid Spooky after storytime at the Forest Park Aquatic Center on June 30, 2026. Credit: Emma Bradford 
Mermaid Spooky showing a page from “Mermaids Are the Worst!” by Alex Willan to the families watching at the Forest Park Aquatic Center on June 30, 2026. Credit: Emma Bradford 
As the kids watch attentively, Mermaid Spooky is reading off a page from “Bubbly Beautiful Kitty-Corn,” by Shannon Hale at the Forest Park Aquatic Center on June 30, 2026. Credit: Emma Bradford 
Reading from “Mermaids Are the Worst!” by Alex Willan, Mermaid Spooky is making a face while using a silly voice to convey one of the characters at the Forest Park Aquatic Center on June 30, 2026. Credit: Emma Bradford 
Mermaid Spooky reading “Bubbly Beautiful Kitty-Corn,” by Shannon Hale to kids and parents at mermaid storytelling at the Forest Park Aquatic Center on June 30, 2026. Credit: Emma Bradford 
Mermaid Spooky’s sign with QR codes to her Instagram and Venmo leaning against an iridescent purple and blue pumpkin at the Forest Park Aquatic Center on June 30, 2026. Credit: Emma Bradford
Three years ago, Kaye was introduced to the world of mermaiding through the Netflix documentary series “MerPeople.” After watching it, she said, “I need to do that.”
She started by swimming with a club called Mermaid Swim Club in the Bensenville area. Kaye said that when she first showed up, she had no experience, but she was welcomed right away, given a tail by someone and was taught how to use it.
“You don’t need to be like a professional by any means,” she said. “You don’t need to have a lot of training; you’re welcome at any level, which is super cool. It’s a really, really welcoming community.”
Since then, Kaye has had plenty of training and has even participated in competitions.
Windy City Mermaids, Mermaid Spooky’s pod, are professional mermaid entertainers who perform at birthday parties, festivals, and special events with performances, storytelling, and meet-and-greets.
The stories they tell and the treasures they hand out are on brand with the mermaid theme, “making sure it’s a magical experience for them too,” Kaye said.
At this event, she handed out shell wands, temporary tattoos, and tiny trinkets as keepsakes to help the kids keep the magic alive.
“I love getting to make a little bit of magic for kids and hopefully give them a memory that they’re never going to forget,” Kaye said.
She currently lives on the North Side of Chicago but lived around Forrest Park and Oak Park for about five years.
Besides her mermaid persona, Kaye said she also has a fairy and pirate identity, alongside the Windy City Faries.
Emma Bradford is an intern for NEWSWELL CHICAGO through Report for America’s Local News Internship Program.