Bill Knight loved watching sand sculptures rise again on Fort Myers Beach for the first time in years: Giant sandcastles, mermaids and lots more — all sculpted in breathtaking detail from water and glistening white sand.
“It’s just good to see Fort Myers Beach come back,” Knight says.
Apparently, Southwest Florida felt the same way, too. Knight doesn’t have an official attendance count, but he estimates “thousands upon thousands” of spectators showed up for the 2024 American Sand Sculpting Championship.
“It was over-the-top successful,” says Knight, a professional sand sculptor and longtime co-manager of the event with his wife, Marianne. “I think people are just ready to be done with the hurricane stuff. I think that’s a big part of it.”
American Sand Sculpting Championship: Fort Myers Beach event grows with more sculptors
Now the 35th-annual championship is back Nov. 20-24, and it’s even bigger than last year: Double the event space and more sand sculptors — 26 in all, compared to 18 last year.
“It’s all expanded this year,” Knight says.
The championship returned in 2024 for the first time in five years. It had been canceled every year since 2019, thanks first to the COVID-19 pandemic and then Hurricane Ian.
For 2025, sculptors from across the globe will be working their magic on the beach, including 10 master sculptors, Knight says. About 200 tons of extra sand are imported to the beach every year just for the championship.
It’s one of the biggest events on the island — second only to the Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival, according to Jacki Liszak, executive director of the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce.
“There are sculptors coming from all over the world for this thing,” Liszak said in 2024. “It’s huge! It’s huge for us. This is one of the island’s signature events.”
In addition to the main event, the championship includes sand-sculpting demonstrations, amateur contests, nightly live music (new this year), a vendor village, food and more.
Tickets, times for Fort Myers Beach sand sculpting championship
The American Sand Sculpting Championship takes place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday, Nov. 20-24, behind Diamondhead Beach Resort, 2000 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers Beach.
Monday will be viewing-only, with no sculptors working at that time, Knight says.
After the event’s main hours, live musical acts will perform 5-8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 20-23, under the entertainment tent. The sculptures can still be viewed through the fence at that time, Knight says.
The musical lineup features FLORA (Thursday), Gas House Gorillas (Friday), Chasing Denver (Saturday) and High Voltage (Sunday). The concerts are free. Food from Cabañas Beach Bar & Grill will also be sold.
Tickets for the championship are $5. The event happens rain or shine, Knight says.
For more information, call 454-7500 or visit fmbsandsculpting.com.
Charles Runnells is an arts and entertainment reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 or email crunnells@gannett.com. Follow or message him on Facebook(@charles.runnells.7), Instagram (@crunnells1) and X (@CharlesRunnells).
