Sand sculptors, curious onlookers, beach-goers and everyone in between, this is for you!
Every year spectators and artists flood into Parksville from across the globe, hoping to get a taste of the five-week Beach Festival’s addictive and inspirational energy.
With a nail biting sand sculpture competition, an open-air exhibition, live entertainment, vendors and more, there is always something for everyone to enjoy.
This year, the Parksville Beach Festival kicked off with their Sand Sculpture Competition from Thursday, July 11th to 14th, with seven doubles competitors and 15 solosists—all racing to create a beautiful and stable piece of art for the chance to win prize money.
In a press release, Cheryl Dill, President Beach Festival Society noted that the gorgeous weather during this year’s build attracted a strong attendance of nearly 10,000 visitors to witness master sculptors carving sand into astounding sculptures.
Soloist Manual Campos from Colombia won first place with their sculpture “Guardian of Light,” amounting to $1,800 and automatic entry into next year’s competition.
First place for doubles was awarded to Sue McGrew from the US and Dmitry Klimenko from Russia with their piece, “Connection”—earning them $3,600.
Missed the competition? No worries!
Each sculpture is in a gated, open-air exhibition space that will remain open to the public from July 15th until August 18th, from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily.
Throughout the exhibition, visitors are encouraged to vote for their favorite sculpture, deciding who will win the sought-after “People’s Choice Award,” which earns the artists another $500 for soloists or $1000 for doubles in prize money.
Entry into the exhibition is a suggested donation of $5, with proceeds going towards several local non-profit organizations.
Other event highlights include the Art In the Park Artisan Market on Saturday, July 20th and Sunday, July 21st; the Mid Island Co-op Rock the Park Music Festival on Friday, August 9th to Sunday, August 11th; the Sculpture Light Up on Saturday, August 16th and Sunday, August 17th; and more.
Check their full schedule for all of the need-to-know details!
Parksville Beach Festival
- Where: Parksville Community Park & Beach, 193 Island Highway East, Parksville
- When: Kicked off on July 11th and runs until August 18th—event dates vary
