27th Annual Coney Island Sand Sculpting Contest to Welcome Artists of All Ages

Amateur and semi-professional sand sculpting artists of all ages are invited to participate on the 27th Annual Coney Island Sand Sculpting Contest on Saturday, August 19 from 12:00pm to 4:00pm at the Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk from West 10th Street to West 12th Street. It is presented by Neptune/Sixth in partnership Brooklyn Community Services (BCS), Astella Development Corp and Alliance for Coney Island.

Registration for sand sculpting is free and will begin at 12:00 noon at the Brooklyn Community Services booth located on the boardwalk at West 12th Street. The competing sand sculpting categories are: family group, adult group and individual adult. Each contestant team will have a sand dune and receive a free beach pail to fill with water supplied by the NYC Parks Department. There are cash prizes and bragging rights for the top winners.

Judges will base sand sculpting winners on unique creativity and artistic execution. Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, Commissioner for The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation will return as a judge. Other sand sculpting judges include: Marc Evan, acclaimed Brooklyn based artist, illustrator and one of the preeminent professional pumpkin carvers in the world. Music entertainment will be provided by New York's popular Top 40 radio station 92.3 AMP spinning hits.

Each year, the Coney Island Sand Sculpting Contest attracts approximately 10,000 attendees from the U.S. and around the world to check out the sand artistry. This year's lead sponsor is Neptune/Sixth. Other sponsors include: Luna Park and The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Check for updates from Alliance for Coney Island at coneyislandfunguide.com or Brooklyn Community Services at Wearebcs.org/sand.