Revere Beach's Sand Sculpting Festival Kicks Off Friday

The 17th annual International Sand Sculpting Festival gets underway Friday on Revere Beach. Over the course of three days, visitors can enjoy food vendors and exhibitors while taking in the masterfully crafted sand sculptures on the three-mile crescent beach.

Last year's event was cancelled due to the pandemic. This year, the city has put safety protocols in place to mitigate the potential COVID-19 spread. The protocols include spacing the sculptures to reduce possible crowding, eliminating live music, and decreasing the total number of sculptures. In addition to providing masks and sanitizing products for attendees, mobile vaccination clinics will also be available throughout the weekend.

This year's event will be a celebration of the 125th anniversary of Revere Beach. And unlike prior years, this year's festival will not be a competition — instead there will be a single theme.

"It's a little different than years past, where there isn't that competition, folks won't be able to judge," said Mayor Brian Arrigo. "But it's going to be a wonderful, beautiful display of public art."

The festival has previously been estimated to draw over a million attendees.