Escape the heat by the ocean with epic sand castles, food trucks, fireworks, and live music
What?
Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival
When?
Friday, July 19, through Sunday, July 21. Festival hours are from 10 am to 10 pm on Friday and Saturday, and 10 am to 8 pm on Sunday.
Where?
Revere Beach, America’s first public beach. You can reach the beach in just 45 minutes by taking any MBTA Green Line trolley to Government Center, transferring to the Blue Line, then getting off at Wonderland.
How much?
Free.
Why should I go?
What better way to stave off the heat this weekend than to take a trip to the beach? Enjoy the Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival, one of Boston’s most popular summer events. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the festival takes advantage of the beach’s three miles of sandy shores and invites master sand sculptors from all over the world to compete. This year’s artists hail from a range of countries, including the United States, Poland, and the Netherlands.
Each artist is given a 12-ton allotment of sand—trucked down from Hudson, N.H.—for their creation. They rely on tools like shovels, buckets, spoons and knives, toothpicks, straws (to blow sand from fine details), spray bottles, and masonry trowels. This year’s theme is “Wonders of the World.” In addition to the judges’ picks for best sculpture, visitors can vote for their favorite to win the People’s Choice Award. At stake is $28,000 in prizes.
The festival is expected to draw over a million visitors from all over the world. Last year, Revere Beach welcomed visitors from 35 states and 14 countries for the event. In addition to the sand sculptures, there’s international cuisine from 75 food vendors, live music along the boardwalk, amusement rides, and a Saturday night fireworks display.
And for those simply wanting a day at the beach, Revere Beach is perfect for sunbathing and swimming.
