National Sand Sculpting Festival opens today, awards issued Saturday

REVERE ? From today through Sunday near the Reinstein Bandstand, Revere Beach will be buzzing with life as master sculptors from all over the U.S. and Canada compete in the 11th Annual National Sand Sculpting Festival for a $14,000 prize.The contestants will have 24 hours of work time over several days to meticulously sculpt 10 tons of sand each into their own sculpture in an 18’x18′ exhibit area.The award ceremony is set to take place on Saturday at 6 p.m.?Every year, the Revere Beach National Sand Sculpting Festival provides us with the opportunity to showcase our beach and our community to spectators near and far, while we continue to spread the word of the ongoing revitalization of Revere Beach,” said John Hamel, Revere Beach Partnership’s board of directors president, according to RevereBeach.com. “With all of the recent building and development along the beach, and partnerships from local businesses and organizations showing up at a record pace, we’re planning to shatter previous attendance records at our biggest and best festival in the last 11 years.”According to RevereBeachPartnership.com, the festival is expected to attract around 350,000 people to the beach.Other features of the National Sand Sculpting Festival at Revere Beach include: gourmet food trucks, live entertainment, exhibit booths, community village, interactive learning zone (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. all three days), children’s sand sculpting lessons (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday), and a VIP/sponsor reception, and a fireworks display will signify the end of the festival on Sunday, July 20 at 9 p.m. The exhibits and concessions will close at 10 p.m. Sunday after the fireworks. The sculptures will remain in place until natural erosion brings them down.The beach is accessible from the MBTA Revere Beach stop on the Blue Line. Free parking is available on Ocean Avenue and Revere Beach Boulevard. There are also parking lots with paid parking near Wonderland MBTA Station.