CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla. — Dozens of hand-sculpted sand sculptures are bringing people together at the Sugar Sand Festival on Clearwater Beach.
This year's festival features dozens of sculptures based on sports, along with an American 250 theme. The event runs until Sunday, April 12, offering live entertainment and massive sand displays.
Joe and Maria Nunziata, who live on Clearwater Beach, were second in line Sunday at 10 a.m. to get a look at the artwork.
"I know every year, everybody was always talking about it. People talk about it, showing pictures. It was on the news. It was something we needed to do," Joe Nunziata said.
Founders Lisa and Steve Chandler run the festival annually as volunteers, pouring every dime back into the event and the Clearwater Beach community.
"This is my husband Steve, and I's passion project. We're business owners out here, and this is our one way to give back to the community that has basically blessed our family for over 34 years," Lisa Chandler said.
As word of the festival has spread, the time, planning, and money required to run it have only gone up.
"We have over 400 volunteers that come out and volunteer their time and talents out here, commissioning the sculptors, the live entertainment. It's definitely a year-round project," Chandler said.
It is not just the Chandlers who have been around since the beginning. Master sand sculptor Patrick Harsch has volunteered at the festival for all 13 years of its existence.
"So it started out with like six of us in a circus tent, and we just kind of made it happen," Harsch said, "I love it because it's more than just a sand sculpting event. It's a festival."
You can purchase tickets online in advance on their website.
A list of parking lots and trolley options can also be found here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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