PARKSVILLE — It’s been a long time coming but an international roster of sculptors and sand carvers are ready to rumble.
Highlighted by the world-renowned sand sculpture competition, the Parksville Beach Festival is expected to bring in tens of thousands of people over the five-week period, running from July 15 until Aug. 21.
Festival society president Cheryl Dill said they couldn’t have done it without tremendous support from the community.
“It’s been exactly three years ago this week since we set up for the 2019 event. We’re dusting off a few cobwebs but everything is on track.”
The sand masterpieces will once again be at the Community Park on Parksville’s waterfront. This year’s theme is the ‘Roaring 20s’ which was set to be the inspiration for the 2020 event which never ran.
Dill told NanaimoNewsNOW their special sand was delivered this week, which provides sculptors with a perfect canvass to form their creations.
“There is a science behind everything. If it’s too coarse and has a heavier pebble it doesn’t work well, it leads to sand sculptures falling, so it has to be the right mix of clay, the size of the particles in order for the proper compaction to take place.”
Organizers spent the last few months testing different sand to find the right mixture, and were able to locate a local source in the Coombs area which helps cut down on costs.
Some of the best sand sculpture artists from around the world flew into Parksville this week in anticipation of this incredibly popular event which is the cornerstone of the five-week festival.
“One of our sculptors from Japan arrived here last week, she wanted to get here early and take in the beauty of Vancouver Island. The Netherlands competitors are back again this year, we have sculptors from Central America, across the U.S., Mexico, quite a few from Canada.”
Dill said they’ve been tracking their visitors since the early 2000s.
They have a map on display where people can identify their country of origin when they arrive, and it’s usually completely covered by the end of the festival. In the last five years, they’ve averaged around 125,000 visitors.
“Typically the majority of people who come through our gates are from Canada; Alberta, B.C. very strong, and also from the U.S. The majority of people come from Vancouver Island, but we do see people from Australia, New Zealand, China, you name it.”
They are also excited to finally officially open their new Parksville outdoor theatre in conjunction with the Town of Parksville, on July 22.
The Beach Festival has earmarked money for the creation of such a facility for a while now, and they believe it might be the largest outdoor performance facility on the Island.
The sand artists will begin with a “pound up” on Thursday, July 14 where the artists will be able to build and fill their forms. Once the sculptor feels it’s solidly packed, they’ll start carving their creations.
Gates open to the public on Friday, July 15 at 2 p.m., and judging will be on Sunday from 3 to 4:30 p.m. with the winners being announced by 5 p.m.
Access to the exhibition is by donation which helps them support their charity gate-ambassador groups.
A 2015 study estimated the five-week event brings $18 million into the local economy every year.
More information can be found here at parksvillebeachfest.ca.
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