Sure, creating them when we were little was an exercise in getting along with our siblings long enough to accomplish something, but face it: sand castles are not very original or interesting.
That’s why at Sanding Ovations, one of Florida’s premier sandsculpting competitions (and funnest music festivals), you probably won’t find one. The event, now in its seventh year, brings in sand sculptors from around the world to fashion enormous pieces — some whimsical, some macabre, some downright trippy — from nothin’ but sand and water.
Before and after you ogle the sculptures, you can wander among the local food, beer and craft vendors and check out some excellent music on a huge stage nearby, all while strolling in the sand. Acts include Bath Salt Zombies, Grant Peeples, Copious Jones, Rev. Funky D. & The New Diggz and many more. Free. On the Beach behind Gulf Blvd. & 104th Ave. Sculpting Wed-Fri, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.. Music/vendors/judging Fri.-Sun. 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
This article appears in Nov 19-25, 2015.