Sand Bash to sculpt and entertain next month
A partnership has formed to bring a non-qualifying doubles sand sculpting event to Fort Myers Beach at the end of next month.
The inaugural Sand Bash, a festival-style family event with music, children’s activities and, yes, sand sculpting, is expected to entertain at the Holiday Inn on the south end of Estero Island at 6890 Estero Boulevard from March 31 through April 3. The event is pending town approval through a special permit to go forward.
Big C Events President Jason Camp is teaming with Pincher’s Crab Shack Operating Director Grant Phelan (also Big C Events’ chief operating officer), Holiday Inn Owner John Callis, Bonnie Roberts Events’ Bonnie Roberts, Sand Lubbers’ Bill Knight and Brian Wigelsworth and at least two Kiwanis organizations (Beach Kiwanis included) to form a formidable combination of event management/ marketing and advertising; food and beverage; venue; vendors; sand management/ sand artist relationship; and volunteers.
“We’re trying to show a different artistry out there,” said Camp. “We are presenting two-person teams, and our foundation is bigger with a 20-by-20 foot plot. We’ll have a bigger footprint but less sand sculptors then the November event.”
Sand Bash will feature nine tandem teams comprised of some of the world’s best Master Sculptors and 10 sand sculptures in all. According to its website (www.sandbash.com), the average carving will be more than two-stories tall with 400 square feet at its base. Camp said there is a $10,000 purse for the sand sculpting part of Sand Bash.
“What I’ve learned through the community in Lee and Collier counties is that there is a big hole that needs to be filled with family friendly projects and community events that are big and also whole,” he said. “That’s what we want to do at Sand Bash by combining music, kid’s activities and sand sculpting at an affordable price. We’ve decided to partner together and do that.”
In these tough economic times, Camp believes the average consumer wants something in their financial means. Move over major events. Hello smaller venue.
“In this area, there are a lot of young professionals with families who can’t afford bigger events. We live in a great place and the community wants something to do,” he said.
Camp knows the comparison between Sand Bash and the annual and successful American Sand Sculpting Championship Festival will be there and difficult to shake.
Both events have world class Master Sculptors, a group carve, a vendor village, $5 per day admission for a closer look, photo ops as well as free parking and free coach rides from Lover’s Key State park area.
“I’m trying to break that mold,” he said. “November (ASSCF) is a great event, but they are very sand sculpting focused. We are bringing that, but it’s also about music, family, a lot of kids’ activities and vendors. I think the music really separates what we’re trying to do. We’ll have live music starting at 10 a.m. on Thursday and going until 9 p.m. each day.”
Besides all-day musical entertainment and a large children’s activity area for a nominal fee, the proposed spring event is expected to feature demonstrations, evening “quick sand” (10-minute creation) competitions and exhibit sculptures.
Camp, who has a wife and two small children, knows that younger festival goers not only need games to keep them preoccupied but complete art to capture their attention. Exhibit sculptures (finished pieces as well as works in progress) will help out and also provide another separation in format between the fall event and the proposed spring event.
“My kids were a little disappointed because there was nothing to look at,” Camp said about attending last year’s American Sand Sculpting Championships. “You could see part of the sculpture, but you couldn’t see the whole grand scheme of it. If someone is going to pay for admission, I want to show them a finished product and have them stick around, have different programming and listen to great music.”
The Land Shark Band, a celebrated Jimmy Buffet cover band from Orlando, will headline the entertainment schedule during the event’s Saturday evening. The children’s area will be filled with activities such as water slides, bounce houses, corn hole (bean bag) competitions and sand sculpting clinics.
Sand Bash comes during the height of tourism season, when the hotels and condos are full.
“It’s a completely different market than November,” said Camp. “In particular, we scheduled it during Spring Break for Chicago and Atlanta where hotels and condos are at capacity. Let’s give them a few different things to appeal to everybody in the family.”
While the members of the Kiwanis organizations will be the main volunteers, others are encouraged to contact info@sandbash.com (once/if the event is fully approved) if interested in helping out before, during and after the event. A portion of the proceeds goes to the Kiwanis clubs in an effort to give back to the community.
Vendors can find an application online as well. Bonnie Roberts Events is handling that part of the partnership.
“Being invited into this team is amazing,” said Roberts, who admits she did not know Camp until very recently.
“We’re just a group of local business partners coming together in hopes of putting on a great event,” said Camp.
NOTE: Sand Bash has been approved by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Myers Beach Fire Department and the Department of Environmental Protection agency. Event officials are awaiting the Town of Fort Myers Beach for final permitting.