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Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival Update

Dear friends, family, and loyal Sugar Sand Festival supporters,

On Thursday, Florida Governor DeSantis made a recommendation and request to postpone and or cancel all mass gatherings in an effort to slow down the spread of COVID-19. As an organization who is passionate about their charitable work and tourism efforts on Clearwater Beach, it is with great sadness to announce our decision to “sunset” and postpone the 8th Annual Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival presented by Visit St. Pete Clearwater. This community-generated event has created countless memories for both residents and visitors who travel to be a part of an event that celebrates some of Mother Nature’s greatest gifts. Simply put, we are heartbroken. In these uncertain times, there is no higher priority than the safety of our guests, volunteers, partners and staff. For those of you who have pre-purchased tickets, we will be contacting you within the next week to issue you a refund. We look forward to saving you a seat on our sugar sand beaches, and leave you with wishes of good health. This situation is unprecedented to all, that is why we must move forward together and “Play Nice in the Sandbox”.

– Respectfully, Team Sugar Sand.

Join us for some fun in the sand and a cold MONSTER in your hand!🏖️

Join us for some fun in the sand and a MONSTER in your hand on Saturday, April 11, for the Sugar Sand Cornhole Tournament Fueled by Monster Energy!

• Boards up – 9:30 a.m.
• Practice and registration – 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
• Tournament start – 11:00 a.m.

Two Divisions of Competition

Open Division:
• $30 per player (cash only registration day of tournament)
• Blind draw
• One (1) free drink ticket with paid entry fee
• Pool play followed by double elimination

$1000 guaranteed cash purse for Open Division
• 1st Place: $500
• 2nd Place: $250
• 3rd Place: $150
• 4th Place: $100

Social Division:
• $20 per player (cash only registration day of tournament)
• One (1) free drink ticket with paid entry fee
• Double elimination
• Prizes to our top finishing teams

Raffle prizes and drawings throughout the day!

Participants practicing for the cornhole tournament on Clearwater Beach.

If you have any questions, please call 727-871-8060 or email Angela@SugarSandFestival.com

Click here to sign-up!

Join us for a SANDtastic educational experience!

Your students will go “bananas” over this interactive field trip!🍌🐵

Though a round-robin schedule, students K-5, will be entertained by top-notch busker performances, experience a hands-on sand sculpting class, learn about Cleawater’s recycling efforts, explore the Sugar Sand Walk Exhibit, learn and meet exotic animals and play in the gigantic sand box!

Pack a lunch and enjoy a picnic in Pier 60 Park, or boxed lunches and cool treats may be pre-ordered.

Plan your wild adventure by clicking here! 🦞🦚🐾

Are you ready for a ROARing good time?🦁

Grab your pack and head to Clearwater Beach and gaze at the artists at work creating their amazing sand sculptures under the expansive 21,000-square foot structure. 1,000 tons of Clearwater Beach’s famous Sugar Sand will be transformed into museum quality sculptures!🏰

25+ Group Tour Benefits and Perks

• Skip the line and enter the exhibit through the “Fast Lane”

• All day admission to the Sugar Sand Walk Exhibit • One complimentary souvenir photo

• 20% discount advance ticket sales—$8.00 per ticket

• 10% discount on any festival merchandise

• 10% discount at participating restaurants

Click here to plan your next adventure to Clearwater Beach!

Lions and Tigers and SAND SCULPTURES… OH MY!

 

ROAR! 🦁 The Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival is proud to announce the 2020 Sugar Sand Walk Exhibit theme… 

SANDimals, An Animal Adventure

Grab your pack and see 1,000 tons of Clearwater Beach’s sand come to life in the form of a museum quality art exhibit that will showcase animals of fantasy, safari, prehistoric and maybe a local friend or two! The adventure will begin April 10-26, 2020.

It’s going to 🐝 WILD!

Sugar Sand Saturday Schedule

It’s Sugar Sand Saturday 🎉 Let’s do this! The winds are going to calm down throughout the day.
Pro-Am Sand Sculpting Tournament: 9AM-5PM
Exhibit: 10AM-10PM
Camp Hyatt: 10AM-Sunset
Sculpting Class: 11AM, 2PM
Sugar Sand Bar: Noon-10:30PM
Baystar VIP Lounge: 4PM-10:30PM
Tobacco Rd. Band: Noon-2:30
Bus Stop Band : 2:30PM-6PM
Speed Sand Demo: 4PM
Black Honkeys: 7:30PM
Fireworks: 9PM

Online Tickets for the 2019 Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival Presented by Visit St. Pete/Clearwater On-Sale Now

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Take a trip around the world in 17 days. Do that and more when you make a visit to the 2019 Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival presented by Visit St. Pete/Clearwater on Clearwater Beach April 12-28. Celebrating some of the greatest landmarks across different countries, the theme for this year’s festival will be ‘Sea the World, A Journey Around the Globe.” Clearwater Beach’s famous sugar sand will be transformed into immaculate sculptures of renowned destinations and prominent landmarks from around the world.

Tickets for the 2019 Sugar Sand Walk Exhibit and Baystar VIP Lounge are available online now at SugarSandFestival.com. Purchasing tickets online allows you to skip the line when visiting the exhibit. General admission to the sculpture exhibit will be $10 for adults, $8 for children 4-10 years old and free for children under 3 years of age. Tickets will also be $8 for those 60 and older, military personnel, police officers, firefighters and teachers. These discounted tickets will only be available at the gate with proper identification.

Due to the overwhelming success and popularity of the Sugar Sand Festival, the event will now stretch across 17 days instead of 10. This will give people more time to visit and also allow those visiting for the Easter holiday a chance to see this unique and affordable event.

New to the Sugar Sand Festival this year:

  • Pro-Am Sand Sculpting Tournament | April 20 | 9 a.m to 5 p.m. | Registration required
  • Family Sand Sculpting Competition | Easter Sunday, April 21 | 2 p.m. | Free
  • 3 Daughters Brewery, a local brewery based in St. Petersburg, Florida will be the official craft beer of the festival and cider sponsor at the Shephard’s Sand Bar

Each year, the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival continues to grow in popularity and garner national attention. Last year’s event drew more than 120,000 visitors throughout its 10-day run. The festival has also received numerous awards and continues to attract visitors from around the world.

2018 Top Sugar Sand Moments

  1. Lightning Watch Party
  2. Clearwater Lightning Watch Party
    Tampa Bay Lightning fans brought the only kind of lightning we like to see on Clearwater Beach! On Monday, April 16th, a sea of blue was created with 2,000 visitors who came out to watch the playoffs on a giant LED jumbo screen and to cheer on the Tampa Bay Lightning.

     

$6,000 Raised for Sandy Lane Elementary

Guests selected the winner of the CCM Master Sand Sculpting Competition through the “Your Change Helps Create Change” campaign. By donating cash or small change to the sand sculpture of their choice. $6,000 was raised for Sandy Lane Elementary School in Clearwater!

 

Tribute to Barbara Bush

To pay tribute to the life and legacy of former First Lady Barbara Bush, sculptors carved a sculpture of Mrs. Bush in Clearwater Beach’s sugar sand. Barbara Bush was an American treasure, and what better way to honor her when this year’s theme was SEA America, “A Celebration of America’s Treasures.”

 

Sugar Sand Surprises

The Sugar Sand Festival surprised 8 unsuspecting visitors who were patiently waiting in line for the Sugar Sand Walk Exhibit with a surprise brunch at the Baystar Brunch on the Beach Experience. Guests were treated to a decadent chef’s choice four course meal provided by Baystar Restaurant Group beachside in our world-famous sugar sand sculpted tables.

 

Attendance Growth

The Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival welcomed over 45,000 visitors to the Sugar Sand Walk Exhibit on Clearwater Beach. The festival surpassed last year’s attendee count by 11% despite losing one peak day due to the hard closure and severe weather. 

Reserve Your Ride on the Clearwater Ferry

Planning a visit on Saturday 4/21? After the popularity of ferry last weekend, the Clearwater Ferry has added a another larger vessel and the ability to reserve your seat on the ferry. Reservations are required and are first come, first serve basis for the 10:30AM, 11:30AM, and 12:30PM. The price for the ferry is $4 one way. Be prepared to provide names for everyone in your party and an email address and pay for the reservation in advance. You will receive an e-mail confirmation that you will show in order to board the ferry.

Reserve your seats now by calling 727-755-0297 to guarantee early arrival at Clearwater Beach to experience the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival!

Sugar Sand Festival Closes Temporarily Due to Weather

Unfortunately, Mother Nature is not on our side today and we have to temporarily close the Sugar Sand Festival Exhibit and activities for the day (Sun., Apr. 15) due to windy conditions and safety concerns.

Tomorrow’s forecast calls for a bright and beautiful day with zero percent chance of rain! Come out to see the only kind of Lightning we love play against the New Jersey Devils at the OFFICIAL Tampa Bay Lightning watch party with now newly-added fireworks!

Ride the Jolley Trolley and PSTA Bus System for FREE

Don’t like sitting in traffic? Can’t stand searching for parking? Ride the Jolley Trolley and Clearwater PSTA bus system for FREE! From now til April 29th, all riders boarding at Clearwater City Hall or the Harborview Center will receive a FREE DAY PASS for all day travel on the entire PSTA bus and trolley system. Parking at Clearwater City Hall and the Harborview Center is free. Trolley Park & Ride service every 15 minutes from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. Return service to the downtown parking lots boards at the Clearwater Beach Marina.

Tickets are live!

It’s almost that time of year again when the white, sugar sand of Clearwater Beach comes to life visually as carefully crafted, immaculate sand sculptures. The Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival presented by Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater will mold Clearwater Beach into an artistic paradise.

April 13-22. The theme for this year’s festival is
Sea America: A Celebration of America’s Treasures.

Tickets for this beloved event are now available for purchase online. Visitors can pre-purchase tickets so they won’t have to stand in line. These ticket holders will have their own, separate, “fast entrance” to the event, and will receive a $5 discount on all festival merchandise. Purchase tickets online by clicking here.

New this year will be the Baystar VIP Lounge where visitors will be able to enjoy the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival in style with a swanky experience. VIP access gets you into the tented bar area with private air-conditioned restrooms, lounge seating, light snacks during the afternoon, tasty appetizers from 6 to 8 p.m., and the best view of the concert stage and Clearwater Beach’s famous sunsets.

Admission to the sculpture exhibit will be $10 for adults, $6 for students ages six to 17 years old, and $8 for those 55 and older, military personnel, police officers, firefighters and teachers (proper identification required). Children five and younger will be admitted free of charge with adult purchase. Adult and senior tickets include a complimentary souvenir photo.

For more information about the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival, call (727) 871-8060 or visit SugarSandFestival.com. Follow all the activities during the festival at Facebook.com/Pier60SugarSandFestival.

By Jason Biesel