Page 12 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, July 26, 2024 20th U Annual Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival Draws Millions Canadian Bouchard wins First Place, People’s Choice for sculpture “Blend in” By Neil Zolot nlike last year, the weather was ideal for the 20th Annual Revere Beach Sand Sculpting Festival from Friday, July 19–Sunday, July 21, which, no doubt, drew a million visitors. Revere Beach Partnership Vice President Adrienne Sacco-Maguire called Saturday, July 20, the day of the awards ceremony in a sculptors’ competition “a perfect day. What could be better than being on Revere Beach on a day like today?” Revere Police Lieutenant Robert Impemba said the festival attracted “a good crowd with a lot of families. It’s similar to past years.” The theme for the festival was its two-decade anniversary, hence the birthday cake sculpture that served as its centerpiece. The festival is also a competition between what co-organizer Melineige Beauregard of Broken Glass Sand Sculptures of Hawaii described as “some of the best of the best” sand sculptors in the world. Jonathan “Jobi” Bouchard of Quebec won the top prize from judges for “Blend In,” as well as the People’s Choice and the opinion of the sculptors themselves. “I thought I had a good chance, but you never know,” he said. “It’s hard to judge art.” “It’s an impossible task to judge art because it’s an expression of feeling,” Beauregard agreed. Among other sculptors was Ndricim “Jimmy” Bejko – originally from Albania and now living in East Boston – one of the new sculptors this year. His piece was “Let’s Take a Selfie.” A longtime clay sculptor, he had applied for entry before, but was told he needed more experience with sand. Works shown at the Topsfield Fair, among other places, led to him being accepted. “It’s going great,” he said. “The most talented sand sculptors in the world are here.” Morgan Rudluff of San Francisco has competed in Revere before and was back with “Say More.” “I love this event; it’s one of my favorites,” she said. “There’s a strong community vibe and great sand.” Veteran entrant Deborah Barrett-Cutulle of Saugus was also one of the sculptors with “A Butterfly’s Playground.” “The festival is a wonderful thing,” she feels. Her daughter, Talia, sang the National Anthem at the awards ceremony. Sand sculpting is a unique art form and the sculptors have become a close-knit group. “With people competing at this level, we’ve known each other for years,” HE’S NUMBER ONE: Canadian sand sculptor Jobi Bouchard, shown at left with his winning medals, created “Blend In,” (shown at right) which won first place at the 20th Annual Revere Beach Sand Sculpting Competition on Saturday. (Advocate photos by Tara Vocino) Rudluff said. “We are a family and it’s fun and a challenge to compete with such a talented group.” Among the people enjoying the day were Kevin Beaudry of Leominster and his children Charles, Jayne and Patty. “I used to work in the area, so I knew about it,” he said. “There’s a lot of good work here.” His cousin Jordyn Fontaine drove up from Connecticut to visit the family and see the sand sculptures. “This is the second year I’ve come and it’s awesome,” she said. Richard Marasco of Wilmington heard about the event on the radio and came over with his daughter Katie and grandson Milo, also from Wilmington. “This is my first time at Revere Beach,” Richard said. “It’s fantastic.” “I haven’t been here for years, but will definitely come back,” Katie added. Renaud and Kelly Plantey and their daughter, Ellie, took public transportation from East Boston, as they sometimes do to go to the beach or restaurants. “It’s very convenient,” Renaud said. As usual, politicians were out in full force. Revere Mayor Patrick Keefe said the festival “opens up doors for people to see the beauty of a beach we see every day. It’s an opportunity for us to show what we already know.” On Saturday morning he gave Kate Fox of the state Dept. of Travel and Tourism a tour of the beach. “The festival brings families and revenue into the city,” Revere Ward 1 Councillor Joanne McKenna said. She attended the festival with her friend Laurie Shannon of Malden. “I often came to Revere Beach as a kid and it’s nice to be here for this,” Shannon said. “The sculptures bring people to the area.” Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya called the festival “wonderful” and credited the Revere Beach Partnership for putting it together. Revere Diversity Equity and Inclusion director Steve Morabito said he was at the first festival 20 years ago and noted how much it has grown over the years. State Senator Lydia Edwards said the festival is when “Revere shines for the whole world.” State Rep. Jessica Giannino called the festival “the best week of the year at Revere Beach.” State Rep. Jeffrey Turco also called the festival “wonderful.” Another dignitary in attendance was Miss Massachusetts Kiersten Khoury, of Westwood, who introduced the sculptors at the awards ceremony. “It’s my first time here,” she said. “I picked a good year to come.” Among vendors was a group from NeighborHealth, formerly the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center. “A lot of people have come by,” its Community Engagement Supervisor and Revere resident Nery Castro reported. And to cap off the 20th year, thousands stuck around for the dazzling fireworks display on Saturday night.
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