CLEARWATER, Fla. (WSVN) — An annual sand festival is returning to Florida’s west coast, featuring masterpieces from 18 sand sculptors from all over the world.
A thousand tons of sand from Clearwater Beach are being used to create the sculptures that will be displayed at the 2026 Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival.
“It’s the wow factor. I mean, the bottom line is, this is sand and water, and an incredible amount of passion and talent,” said Lisa Chandler, the festival’s founder
This year’s theme is “United In Sand: Celebrating Sports and Spirit,” which also pays homage to the country’s 250th birthday.
Among the sculptor taking part in the event is Joon Park.
“We typically start off by building up wood forms — they’re little boxes that we fill up with sand — and once you get two, three forms high, you remove all the wood, and you’re left with a giant block of sand, and from there, it’s all subtracted. You remove sand, and you get pretty much what you have behind me,” he said.
Organizers said the sand used to create the sculptures will be moved back to the beach after the festival, which runs from this Friday to Sunday, April 12.
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