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Texas Sandfest takes over Port Aransas this weekend

Posted at 10:15 AM, Apr 27, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-27 11:15:39-04

Texas Sandfest is the largest Native-Sand Sand Sculpture competition in the USA. Artists from all around the world come to competitions like this one in Port Aransas. 

A first time competitor, Ted Siebert, came all the way from Illinois just to compete in this sand sculpting competition, "in the professional circuit, this is probably maybe one of ten masters marquee events in the country, there aren’t that many you know. And, from what I’ve heard, this is one of the better ones." 

Siebert has been sculpting for over thirty years and usually does bigger sculptures using big industrial equipment. Once realizing how much he had to shovel for the competition at Sandfest, "this is going to hurt for a 60 year old," as he laughs.  

The process to actually build one of the sculptures is quite time consuming. The competitors had from noon on Thursday to start building and constructing what they needed to. 

Siebert says that because the sand is so fine in Port Aransas, it should make for some good sculpting. The process usually includes a model or plan of some sort. Then after plenty of shoveling, and compacting sand, it just takes a few tools to sculpt your masterpiece. And if wind or rain is a concern for you, just know that once sculptors have completed some of their work, it is sprayed with a glue mixture over the entire sculpture. 

If there’s one thing Siebert wants everyone to know, "I would like to see more young people because I would hate to see this craft die down the road because millennials say, "oh that’s sand we don’t do that", but this is a lot of fun." 

Texas Sandfest’s mission is to always give back to the community, for local charities and college scholarships. Last year, Sandfest gave back $200,000 and they hope to exceed that amount this year. 

Texas Sandfest will be taking place Friday starting at 9 am, Saturday and Sunday. 

For more information you can visit their website here.