A unique castle rises in annual Coney Island Sand Sculpting Contest (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Coney Island
Boardwalk between West Tenth & Twelfth Sts.
Saturday, August 20, free, 12 noon – 4:00 pm
718-266-4623
www.wearebcs.org
www.coneyisland.com
All kinds of sea creatures will be invading Coney Island on August 20, but no, it’s not a repeat of June’s Mermaid Parade. Instead, it’s the twenty-sixth annual Coney Island Sand Sculpting Contest, as amateur and semiprofessional individuals and groups will create masterpieces in the Brooklyn sand, many with a nautical theme. It’s a blast watching the constructions rise from nothing into some extremely elaborate works of temporary art. Last year’s batch featured an octopus, Mount Rushmore, various monsters, a hippo, an alligator, a turtle, a cat, naked sunbathers, a man calling for a taxi, and, of course, numerous castles, including the adult team winner, “Hogwarts Castle,” by Joe Sloboda and Frank Russo, the adult individual champ, “Spirits of the Sea,” by John O’Keefe, and children’s group winner “Environmentalist” by Ari Blumenthal and Sasha Cohen. The event, which features cash prizes, is hosted by Astella Development Corporation and Brooklyn Community Services, with donations and sponsorship helping those still recovering from Hurricane Sandy. While visiting Coney Island on August 20, you should also check out the Coney Island Museum, the Circus Sideshow, and the Burlesque at the Beach presentation “SURFest: A Surrealist Manifesto,” which celebrates Salvador Dalí’s “Dream of Venus” and manifestos, in addition to riding the Cyclone and the Wonder Wheel.