The Sugar Sand Festival is currently happening at Clearwater Beach!  The sculptures created by a talented team of artists are quite amazing - the event ends on April 28th - so you still have time to go - but beware that the traffic getting to Clearwater beach will make for a slow ride and a search for parking.  The sculptures themselves are under a tent (protected from wind, rain, and sun).  It's bright out there - sunglasses will make the trek on the beach more enjoyable for sure (I forgot mine) - once under the tent, no issues.

Clearwater Beach has soft, sugary and white sand, hence the name "Sugar Sand" - the festival is officially called the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival.  The sand is made primarily of quartz crystal and contains minimal shells and/or coral which gives the sugary feel to the sand.  The sand sculptors are varied - some coming from Clearwater/Tampa while others come from Russia and Belguim.  The sign at the event indicates 17 artists created these sculptures (minus those on 'college wall').

As you enter the covered tent, you begin to see sculptures that are larger than you!  The amazing detail, the hours put into their creation, its a bit overwhelming.

A portion of the Australia sculpture.
 

Closeup of the penguins in the Antarctica sculpture.

A huge alligator! The head alone is probably 2-3 feet long.

Tribute to Notre Dame.

Near the end of all the sculpture, this sculpture artist (looks like the one that lives in Clearwater, Florida) is quietly working with the sand.  Tools include brushes, dry wall tools, dental tools - things for the large details as well as the small details.

That's it for this blog post. For more photos, click this link to view the gallery. Sand Festival Photo Gallery