Aquatic Antics

As a child Miami-born-and-raised Glenn Terry didn't own a Water Wiggle or a Slip 'n' Slide, and he only recently began drinking the recommended eight glasses of water a day. So what led to his affinity for liquid? "I'm a Pisces," he giggles. And what ignited the idea for the first-ever WaterFest? The sight of Hindu people tossing colorful fluid at each other on TV, which Terry assumed was a weird water festival but later learned was a springtime rite called Holi.

Milca Louis

WaterFest's own mermaid

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• Mango Strut
• Super Soakers
• Kevin Costner

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That wouldn't be the first time Terry put a twist on something ordinary. Twenty years ago he and friends founded the madcap King Mango Strut parade as an antidote to the stuffy King Orange affair. Now after hearing discouraging news about Florida's water situation, he's put on what he says is "a straighter face," enlisted some of the Mango maniacs' help, and moved momentarily on to wetter pastures.

The aim for WaterFest, in Terry's words, is "to do some weird water stuff and have some educational stuff built around it." Much was planned, but in the interest of good clean fun, certain elements -- pregnant women breaking water, colonic hydrotherapy, and golden showers -- had to be eliminated. "There's so much you can do at Crandon Park and not get arrested," he says.

Among the legal events that will occur: quick lectures from numerous experts, a spitting contest, Super Soaker shootouts, dancing in a misty disco, and the crowning of a king and queen, who'll pay a royal visit to the neighboring Virginia Key Water Treatment Facility. Water-themed music, dance, and art will be showcased, as will Kevin Costner's filmic fiasco Waterworld. To come full circle, festivities will conclude with a Hindu celebration like the one that initially inspired Terry. Bathing suits or a change of clothing are suggested. And for those afraid of water, Terry has just one thing to say: "Well, you drink it, don't you?"