World-class sand sculptors transform Clearwater Beach for Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival

Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival returns

Sand sculptors are using 1,000 tons of sand for the annual Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival. FOX 13’s Kailey Tracy reports. 

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Joon Park has been playing in the sand, so to speak, for more than a decade.

Park, a California-based sand sculptor, is among the 18 sculptors from around the world currently carving out massive displays for the annual Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival Presented by Visit St. Pete Clearwater. For Park, what started as a hobby 11 years ago has turned into a professional passion.

"I started out by being the water boy," Park said, recalling his early days hauling buckets of water and sand for team leaders of competitions in California. "Over time, the team leaders gave me more responsibilities. They told me, 'Hey, go make that wave right there. Go make a seashell on the ground.' Well, 11 years later, I'm here."

This year’s theme, "United in Sand: Celebrating Sports and Spirit," also pays homage to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

What they're saying:

Artists say the quality of the sand in Clearwater Beach is a lot of what sets this event apart. They’re using 1,000 tons of sand from the beach that will be moved back onto the beach after the festival.

"In most places in the world, we're working more with construction sand," sculptor Gresham Glover, who lives in Portugal, said. "The nice thing about the natural beach sand [here] is it is very clean, and it's very forgiving. You can make whatever you want with it. It's perfect."

They use water and tools to help them chip away and create the sculptures.

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"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," Park said standing in front of his sculpture.

Timeline:

They have two weeks to sculpt before festivities kick off Friday. The schedule includes free beach concerts, fireworks and free sand-sculpting classes.

"It is really rewarding, especially on the first day to watch visitors come in. It's the wow factor," Lisa Chandler, the festival’s founder, said. "I mean, the bottom line is this is sand and water and an incredible amount of passion and talent."

An augmented reality portion, projecting images onto the sculptures to bring them to life, is also part of the festival again this year.

"The festival is put on by the Sunsets at Pier 60 Society. That is the year-round sunset celebration that takes place in Pier 60 Park, featuring artisans and street performers. We are a 501(c)(3) and this is our largest fundraiser that helps support the year-round activities in Pier 60 Park," Chandler said.

Festival details

• The festival runs from Friday, March 27–April 12.
• Tickets: $16 per person, children ages 5 and under are free. Fire, police, military, healthcare workers and teachers can get a discount on Fridays and Tuesdays; seniors 60 and older can get a discount.
• Transportation: Visitors can park in downtown Clearwater and take a free shuttle to the festival.

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