New Brunswick’s New River Beach located along the shores of the Bay of Fundy is a popular place any summer weekend, but once a year the sands transform into one giant sandbox where kids of all ages are eager to grab a shovel. The annual Bay of Fundy Sand Sculpture Festival saw the sandy shores filled with both creators and spectators alike for a weekend full of festivities. Sunday was the busiest day of the weekend for the event with both a master’s and amateur sand sculpting competition, as well as vendor village for beach goers. The competition began in the morning, with sculptors having until the late afternoon to finish their sand spectacles. By the evening, their creations will be washed away by the world’s highest tides. While there were only three teams battling it out in the master’s sand sculpting contest, hundreds of people had a bucket and pail for the amateur contest. That included young sand sculptor Wolfgang Donwy MacLean. “I think working on it for a long time, the detail comes out when you do that,” said the young amateur sand sculptor when asked what makes a good sand sculpture as he carefully detailed his Kermit the Frog made of sand. Aunt and niece duo of Cathy McCabe and April Berry were taking part of the event for the first time after checking out the sand sculptures for years as spectators. They duo admits the sand sculpting was not as hard as they initially thought, but that doesn’t mean their sand created guitar was easy. “Pick an idea and draw it out a little bit,” McCabe says on her advice for those looking to try the sport in future years. “Get some numbers in your head, bring a few tools and away you go.” On the master’s side of things, it is a bit more complex. To get the bases started of the stunning sand sculptures, artists must first pack the sand tightly with the help of boxes and wooden boards. Guy-Olivier Deveau of Quebec is one of those master sculptors with the help of his partner Isabelle Gasse. They were working to create a rowboat, that when the tide came in would almost make it look like a sand ship attempting to escape being pulled away by the tide. “We have to be on pace, and we’re fairly confident that we’re going to be able to make it happen,” Deveau says on the keys to ensuring the sculpture is finished on time. “My partner [and I] we are really on the same wavelength in terms of like the art design, so we know that what works and what doesn’t.” Karen Fralich is a professional sand sculptor and one of the event co-organizers. She calls the profession “unique” and says it is much different than the creations taking place down the beach in the amateur’s competition. “It’s really exciting,” she says of the annual event at New River Beach. “It’s such a unique event because it’s the Bay of Fundy, and these tides will literally come in very quickly and take away all the work that’s behind me. By 8 p.m. tonight, there’ll be no sign of what the sculptors did here on the beach.” She says part of what makes this festival so special is the fact it occurs on what she calls one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. “Join us next year, you will not regret it.” Click here for a photo gallery showcasing the Bay of Fundy Sand Sculpture Festival. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
