The sculptors create a large community carve, 8 solo sculptures and 8 team sculptures. On Saturday evening, enjoy the sculptures under colored lights after sunset. The timed competition is judged and the winners are revealed on Sunday afternoon.
Come and vote for your favorite sculpture until Monday at 5 PM by wooden tokens (available for purchase) so you can help determine the Peoples' Choice award.
There are other attractions at this festival: The Learning Curve - sand sculpting lessons and demonstrations are hosted multiple times daily, Fri - Sun; 4 days of live bands under the huge entertainment tent; Quick Sand - an ongoing contest of speed and skill; plus, the Amateur Competition on Saturday.
Also, the Barefoot Beach Bar Party Tent is open all 4 days with music and a full bar- no entry fee.
Vendor Village surrounding Sand Village features 90+ retail vendors and 5 food vendors which are all open to the public.
Is it okay to talk with the artists while they work?
Absolutely! With few exceptions, most of the artists will talk with you and answer any questions you may have. Remember that they are on a time deadline to get their individual sculptures finished by Sunday at noon so their responses to your questions may be short as the deadline to finish nears. And... feel free to take as many pictures and videos as you want.
Will I see finished sculptures when I arrive on the first day?
No. Each artist starts with a fresh pile of Siesta Key sand. They work eight hours each on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. They get another four hours to finish their sculptures on Sunday. If you want to see their work in the early building stage, it's best to come on Friday. If you want to see more intricate work, it's best to come late Friday and/or Saturday. Fine tuning occurs on Sunday morning.
Will the artists be there all four days?
No. The artists arrive from all around the world on Wednesday when event organizers are preparing the venue. They begin their "official" work on Thursday. Most of the artists will be gone on Monday when only the finished sculptures are available to be seen.
Recently named America's #1 Beach, the Siesta Key Crystal Classic has become a favorite of the professional sand sculptors who have competed here.