Pier 60 Sugar Sand Fest economic impact expected to top last year's $30M

CLEARWATER, Fla. - For more than two weeks, thousands of people have walked through time told by incredible sand sculptures on Clearwater Beach at the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival. 

Each work of art represents historic moments from each decade as part of this year's "Blast from the Past" theme.

"It's actually a month-long process from start to finish, so we're really excited to finish strong," said festival founder, Lisa Chandler. 

Running festival operations is a family affair for Pinellas County-born Chandler, her husband, and their children. 

For her, this started as a passion project that's grown immensely each year thanks to her vision and the artists who come from all over the world to build the exhibit from the sand up.

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"What inspired me 25 years ago, the concept, was introduced to me a walk-through sand sculpture exhibit in Cape Town, South Africa, and one day I said we would bring the sand to life on Clearwater Beach," Chandler added.  

An artist hard at work 

While they haven't begun the economic impact analysis for this year's festival, Lisa expects to top a successful 2022.  

"Last year's economic impact for Pinellas County was $30 million," Chandler said. "That's hotels, travel, parking, and just consumer spending and coming to Clearwater Beach." 

Each year that money gets funneled back into the community to the artists and organizations that make Pier 60 and Clearwater one of the top beach destinations in the country. 

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"Sunsets at Pier 60 is the 501c3 not-for-profit arts organization that puts on this event but also has been providing free family entertainment for the last 28 years," Chandler explained. "Artists, street performers, world-famous Pier 60 sunsets...so all of the money stays right here in Clearwater...we have multiple charities, and it also goes to support the art initiatives at Sunsets of Pier 60. 

Now, the breakdown process begins. Chandler will allow the children of festival employees and volunteers to collapse the sculptures back into sand. That will not be open to the public.