Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival Continues Throughout This Week

CLEARWATER, FL — The Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival will close to guests Tuesday, April 19, from 2 to 3 p.m., to film a media segment.

Guests will be permitted into the festival and sand sculpture exhibit before and after this temporary closure.

This is the last week of the festival, which runs through April 24. Hours for the Sugar Sand Walk are from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Peak festival days are Saturdays and Sundays, with weekdays and evenings less crowded.

See related story: Menagerie Of Animals Sculpted In Sand Highlight Annual Clearwater Fest

In partnership with Keep Pinellas Beautiful, this week’s activities include an Earth Day celebration. A family-friendly beach cleanup will happen at 4 p.m. Friday, April 22, on Clearwater Beach. Stick around after the cleanup for live entertainment from The Black Honkeys, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Fourteen world-class artists have crafted elaborate sand sculptures from more than 1,000 pounds of Clearwater’s internationally famous sugar sand. The works of art are on display in a 21,000-square-foot structure.

Based on this year's theme, "An Animal Adventure," the sculptures include larger-than-life, fantastical bears, penguins, dragons and owls.

This year's sculptors are Benjamin Probanza, Damon Farmer, Dan Belcher, Daryl Bowles, Dmitry Klimenko, Hanneke Supply, Karen Fralich, Kirk Rademaker, Mark Mason, Martijn Rijerse, Patrick Harsch, Raymond Wirick, Sue McGrew, Yuri Nyuknatov, Damon Meri, Dean Arscott, Joohang Tan, Larry Hudson, Melinage Beauregard and Steve Schomaker.

Presented by Visit St. Pete/Clearwater and organized by the nonprofit Sunsets at Pier 60 Daily Festival and the city of Clearwater, the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival is the largest destination event on Clearwater Beach, attracting more than 200,000 visitors.

In addition to being able to tour the larger-than-life sand menagerie, visitors will be treated to live concerts Friday, Saturday and Sunday, strolling performers, arts and crafts, a variety of food and drinks, sand-sculpting classes, carnival rides, corn hole tournaments, a giant sandbox where kids can create their own masterpieces and a fireworks display at 9 p.m. Saturday.

Upcoming featured entertainment on the Frenchy's Rockaway Grill Stage includes:

• Friday, April 22, 7:30 p.m. — The Black Honkeys
• Saturday, April 23, 7:30 p.m. — TL Jentgens
• Sunday, April 24, 6 p.m. — Stormbringer

Featured entertainment at the Hooters Hangout includes:

• Friday, April 22, 3 to 7 p.m. — Infinite Tilt
• Saturday, April 23, noon to 4 p.m. — Zack Bliss
• Saturday, April 23, 4:30 to 7 p.m. — Jacob Davies
• Sunday, April 24, 1 to 5:30 p.m. — Chandler Nelms

Parking

Parking along Clearwater Beach is limited. Festival goers are encouraged to use the free PSTA Park & Ride trolley service to get to and from Clearwater Beach.

Park downtown for free any day of the week at the Old City Hall parking lot, 112 S. Osceola Ave., Clearwater, and on Saturdays and Sundays (peak festival days) at the Pinellas County Garage, 310 Court St., the 450 Oak Ave. parking lot and the 311 S. Osceola Ave. parking lot. Then, hop on board the Jolley Trolley to get to and from the beach. For park-and-ride details, click here.

Tickets

General admission tickets are $12. Children age 3 years and younger are admitted for free. And military personnel, police officers, firefighters, teachers and health care workers can purchase discounted tickets for $10 on site on Frontline Friday, April 22.

Baystar VIP lounge tickets are $70. The VIP lounge is open Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 10:30 p.m. and Sundays from 5 to 9 p.m.

VIP lounge tickets include:

• Fast lane entrance and ticket admission to the Sugar Sand Walk Exhibit
• Admission to the Baystar VIP lounge
• Three beer, wine or seltzer beverages
• Two soda or bottled water beverages
• A charcuterie
• Access to air-conditioned VIP restrooms
• A swag bag with an insulated cooler tote, festival theme T-shirt and souvenir towel

For patrons' safety, this year's festival will be 100 percent cashless and contactless. Accepted forms of payment include all major credit cards, Google Pay and Apple Pay.