The International Sand Sculpting Festival came amidst an historic heat wave, but the mid-90-degree weather on the weekend did not deter massive crowds from attending the event.
Due to the blazing sun radiating on Revere Beach, the majority of visitors chose to walk the Boulevard and view the sculptures during the late afternoon and early evening hours, according to Chris Puiia, a member of the Revere Beach Partnership executive director’s team.
“We’re still waiting the final estimates from State Police, but the crowds seemed comparable to previous years,†said Puiia.
The Saturday night fireworks show, enjoyed by thousands, was also a major hit at the festival.
Puiia said the overall winner of the Sand Sculpting Festival was Abe Waterman of Canada, whose sculpture, “The Devil Is An Angel,†took home the top cash prize.
“The committee feels overall the Festival was a great event, and it was exciting to be back on Revere Beach and have a full-scale event, which it hasn’t been able to do since 2019 [due to the pandemic],†said Puiia.
The Massachusetts State Police did an exceptional job ensuring that the Festival proceeded in safe and orderly fashion. Interestingly, the 15 participating sculptors stayed at the new SpringHill Suites By Marriott Hotel located across the boulevard from the Revere Beach display area for the sculptures