Twenty-nine international sculptors will hammer and shape sand throughout the day today as they prepare for the Parksville Beach Festival’s public opening Friday afternoon at Parksville Community Park and Beach.
Sculptors from the United States, Netherlands, Portugal, Australia, Russia, Czech Republic and Ukraine are taking part in this year’s competition. Free sculpting demonstrations and lessons are available to the public on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Now in its 42nd year, Beachfest organizers say the event has attracted more than 100,000 people annually during its five-week run since 2015.
“It has really become a hallmark and the talk of the town,” said Cheryl Dill, president of the Parksville Beach Festival Society, which produces the event. “Visitors say they come to Parksville every year and that has made it a big destination. It’s wonderful for a small town to have such a big event.”
A number of other events are scheduled during the family-oriented festival, including a sold-out concert by Juno Award-winning rock band Trooper on Saturday at the Parksville Outdoor Theatre, where concerts will be held every weekend during Beachfest.
The three-day Rock the Park Festival (Aug. 9-11) and Symphony by the Sea featuring the Vancouver Island Symphony (Aug. 18) are among the highlights.
But the sand-sculpting competition will drive much of the action this weekend.
The juried competition wraps on Sunday, with winners announced at 5 p.m. The otherworldly creations, which are protected by gates and patrolled by security while the competition is underway, will remain on display until Aug. 18.
Entry to the exhibition is by donation, with proceeds to support non-profit organizations in the Parksville area.
Since 1999, more than $1 million has been raised for charity.
“Giving back to the community is why we do what we do,” Dill said. “If we don’t have the support of local residents and the local municipality, it’s hard for us to do good work. That has really helped us be successful. We’re respectful and it helps to have good relationships.”
The sand-sculpting competition is open for viewing starting at 2 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. It closes at 8:30 p.m. daily.
For more information on Beachfest, visit parksvillebeachfest.ca.
BEACHFEST EVENTS
• Quality Foods Sand Sculpting Competition and Exhibition, July 12-Aug. 18
• Parksville Canadian Tire Sculpting Lessons & Demonstrations, July 13 and July 14
• Footprints Security Opening Weekend Concert featuring Trooper, July 13
• Party City Buskers, July 15 to Aug. 18
• Tim Hortons Free Summer Concert Series, July 19-20, July 26-27, Aug. 2-3, Aug. 16-17
•Art in the Park, July 20-July 21
• Mid Island Co-op Rock the Park Music Festival, Aug. 9-11
• Coastal Community Credit Union Sculpture Light Up, Aug. 16-17
• Symphony by the Sea featuring the Vancouver Island Symphony, Aug. 18
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