Every November, Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, Florida, transforms into an outdoor art gallery. For four days, it hosts the incredible Master Sand Sculpting Competition, which features sand sculptors from all over the world, creating over 15 masterpieces from tons of sand. Siesta Key Beach is famous for its pristine white sand, which makes sculptures look as if they were made of marble.
Artists have 24 hours to finish their sand creation, some of which are over 10 ft (3 m) high. The Crystal Classic attracts around 60,000 attendees over four days. Visitors can participate in amateur sand-sculpting competitions and watch professional demonstrations. The Siesta Key Crystal Classic Master Sand Sculpting Competition was held for the first time in 2010 and has become one of the most important annual events in Sarasota since then. The idea belonged to sculptor Brian Wigelsworth, the resident of Sarasota, and local business associations.
Sculptors compete for awards in teams or as solo masters. There are usually about ten teams as well as solo sculptors from countries like Canada, South Korea, the Czech Republic, Singapore, Italy, United Kingdom, Lithuania, and the Netherlands. The first prize is $4,000.
