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The Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival Celebrates American Treasures

Starting Friday, you’ll be able to see Abraham Lincoln and the Statue of Liberty in a way you’ve never seen them before.

Eleven world class sculptors will be presenting elaborate sand art pieces at the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival. Jason Biesel, Public Communications Coordinator for the City of Clearwater, said this year’s theme is “Sea America: A Celebration of America’s Treasures.”

“Anything that you think about in America from the California coast to the East Coast, to space travel and NASA and all of that, you will find at this exhibit as these artists are making sculptures of what they think and what they believe American treasures are,” says Biesel.

The ten day festival has activities for people of all ages to enjoy. 

“There are the Sunsets at Pier 60 that go on, the Sunset Cinema, which goes on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights during the festival. You have artists and performers outside on beach walk, performing and doing certain shows during the Sugar Sand Festival. You also have a kids area play pit area where they can make sandcastles, and there will be sand mounds for them to play on. There will be a water feature that they can play in. And of course you have all of the rest of the beach activities that Clearwater Beach offers every day,” says Biesel. 

Adults will also be able to experience the Baystar VIP Lounge.

“People can go in and have private air conditioned rooms, lounge seating, light snacks will be served, appetizers will be served, they’ll also get some drinks specials and things like that. And they’ll actually have good seating to see the concerts that are going on during the festival on the weekends,” Biesel explains.

Over 200,000 visitors are expected to come out the event. The festival has activities for people of all ages and anyone is encouraged to attend. The Sugar Sand Festival will also be hosting a Tampa Bay Lightning Watch Party during their event on Monday, April 16.

The Pier 60 Sugar Sand Fest begins Friday and will continue until April 22. Ticket and parking information can be found their website.

Ashley Schiedenhelm is a WUSF/USF Zimmerman School Digital News Reporter for the spring of 2018.
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