Sand Sculpture Contest Friday.

– Photo by Ron Beeber

Sand Sculpture Contest Friday.

By Ron Beeber, OCP correspondent.

PENTWATER – The 2019 Pentwater Sand Sculpture Contest is set for Friday, Aug. 9 at the Charles Mears State Park – one of many fun activities on tap for this weekend’s Homecoming Celebration.

So, get out your water spritzers, shovels, buckets, watering cans, spoons, putty scrapers, brushes, trowels, butter knives, drinking straws and pieces of aluminum flashing and get creative!

Sculptures will be crafted to promote his year’s Pentwater Homecoming theme: “100 Years of Michigan State Parks.” The sand sculpture event is sponsored by the Pentwater Service Club.

Ideas for the theme are endless, since the Charles Mears and other Michigan State Parks have so much to offer. A campfire, tent or fish come immediately to mind. Or maybe something related to skiing or hiking. There is plenty of good eating, too. Or relaxing with a good book or board game. Maybe a volleyball. Or a design related to boating. For more great sculpting ideas, check out www.michigan.gov/dnr.

Sculpting begins immediately once a team registers, which begins as early as 8 a.m. Judging begins at 11 a.m. At noon, trophies are awarded to the top three teams in each of seven categories. There are four by age group: 1-7, 8-9, 10-12, 13-and-over (determined by the age of the oldest team member). Also, teams comprised entirely of members of a single family are spread evenly across three family flight categories to assure a high probability of winning a trophy.

Entering teams are judged on four criteria: adherence to the Homecoming theme, creativity, attention to detail, and neatness. Sculptures must be in sand and water only. Items found naturally on the Mears State Park beach can be used for decoration. This includes naturally-uprooted dune grass, feathers and driftwood. Judges will ignore any use of driftwood brought onto the beach from elsewhere, as well as dune grass pulled out of the sand because it protects the shoreline from erosion.

Free parking is available at Charles Mears State Park for anyone with a State of Michigan Recreation Passport. For more information, check out the Pentwater Sand Sculpture Contest community page on Facebook, or call ‪313-498-0155‬.