Seattle PI: 50,000 pounds of sand, sculptures coming to Seattle’s Westlake Park

This article was originally published by the Seattle P-I on Aug. 6, 2021.

Lindsey Major, Seattle P-I
Aug. 6, 2021, Updated: Aug. 6, 2021 1:31 p.m.

The Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) announced Friday a new event coming to Seattle’s Westlake Park on Saturday, Aug. 7: a sandcastle and sculpting exhibit.

As of Friday morning, DSA loaded over 50,000 pounds of sand into the downtown park. At 11 a.m., selected artists began compacting the sand in preparation for Saturday’s sculpting event.

Starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, the pubic is invited to visit Westlake Park and watch the artists begin sculpting their masterpieces. Sculptors include five artists from the Form Finders Group.

There will also be a separate sandbox area for kids, where they can get their hands in the sand and create their own works of art. A master sand sculptor will also be on hand to coach anyone wanting to learn how to build their own sandy creations.

It was not immediately known how long the sculptures will remain in the park following the event, but the predicted rain arriving in the city could have an effect on the structures’ longevity.

Westlake Park, managed by the DSA, schedules games and programming year-round. The sandcastle event is part of an effort to bring people back to downtown Seattle following economic struggles from the COVID-19 pandemic. With the rise in Delta variant cases in Seattle and across the state, many are hesitant to resume life as normal.

Families are invited to come downtown and spend the day watching the artists create their masterpieces and learn how to sculpt themselves. There will be food trucks at the park to curb any cravings, and other games available for anyone who may not want to be brushing sand out of their car for the next two weeks.