8th Annual Revere Beach National Sand Sculpting Festival

Revere Beach, in Revere, Massachusetts, was established as the first public beach in the United States in 1896.  In its heyday it hosted resorts and dance halls.  Later, amusements and a wooden roller coaster were added.  My aunts used to take us candlepin bowling there.  Candelpin bowling, if you're not familiar with it, uses a much smaller ball without holes and the ball fits in the palm of your hand.  I was so used to this type of bowling that when I first went to a tenpin lane I thought I'd break a finger getting it stuck in the bigger bowling ball!  Today, none of those grand attractions exist, but it is still a popular beach.  I grew up in Revere and spent many hours cooling off in the often very cold water, getting sunburned, or eating at Kelly's Famous Roast Beef. 

Since returning to the area, I have enjoyed seeing the results of the annual sand sculpting festival.  This year's festival ran from July 14-17, and the sculptors came from Canada, Portugal, Mexico, and across the U.S., including Key West and, of course, Revere.  Here are a few photos of this year's entries:

"Empty of Turtle" - 1st Place

"The Veil" - 2nd Place

"Weather or Not" - 3rd Place

"Man of War" by Chris Guinto of Key West