Shovels hit the sand this past Sunday as families and beachgoers gathered at Devereux Beach for the Marblehead Festival of Arts’ annual Sand Sculpture Competition.
The event, chaired by Sarah Laurello and Eric Laurello, brought the community together under sunny skies for an afternoon filled with creativity and a bit of friendly competition.
This year’s celebration held special meaning with the debut of the Howard Family Sand Sculpture Award, a heartfelt tradition honoring the Howard family’s long-standing connection to Marblehead.
“The Howards have been esteemed members of the Marblehead Festival of Arts (MFoA) community for many years,” organizers noted. “2023 marked a significant milestone: the 90th anniversary of their great-grandmother’s arrival at Marblehead Neck.”
Known for her love of watercolor painting, the Howard matriarch spent decades capturing Marblehead’s coastal charm in brushstrokes.
Her family remained deeply tied to the area, eventually helping to establish the Audubon Bird Sanctuary in 1953 and donating land in 1963 that would later become the Steer Swamp Conservation Area.
To commemorate the years 1933, 1953, and 1963, the Howards launched the award in 2023 as a tribute to “childhood creativity and the joy of beachside artistry.”
From their own memories of building sandcastles on both American and Belgian beaches, the family recognized the simple, timeless joy of shaping sand only to watch it be reclaimed by the tide.
“This award is our way of celebrating that joy with the Marblehead community,” a family member shared.
Dozens of families answered the call to bring buckets, shovels, and creativity to the beach. After registering at 12:30 p.m., teams spent the next two hours sculpting everything from sea creatures and castles to whimsical abstract designs.
Free ice cream cups kept spirits high while kids got to work — many using only their hands, a plastic trowel, and a little teamwork.
“It’s not just about the winning sculptures,” Sarah Laurello said. “It’s about kids getting sandy, parents helping build dragons, and the community smiling together. That’s the real prize.”
As part of the inclusive spirit of the festival, entries were judged by James and William Bradley, who chose winners for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place as well as a Spirit Award.
First place was awarded to Ethan Goodwin, 11, for his sand sculpture, “Trashy 4th.”
It detailed a sand carving of a garbage truck with “Republic” written on the top in rocks. He used solo cups for wheels and surrounded the truck with trash.
He said he was inspired by all of the trash that was blowing around the streets of Marblehead on the 4th of July and how Republic workers are currently on strike.
“I am happy that I won,” Goodwin said. “A lot of people were making comments saying it was really good.”
Second place was awarded to a child for his sand sculpture “MLT,” which stands for Marblehead Little Theater.
Third place was awarded to Kinley Krisciuns for her sand sculpture titled “Rock tower.”
Krisciuns said she was “super excited” about winning the award.
The Spirit Award was given to Oliver Parmalac for his sculpture “Rocky Volcano.”
“Oliver got here literally 15 minutes early. He was doing his thing with his mom right here, he was working so hard,” Sarah Laurello said.
The Sand Sculpture Festival remains one of the Marblehead Festival of Arts’ most coveted family events, and the addition of the Howard Family Award has cemented its place as both a nostalgic and forward-looking tradition.
