Revere adjusts International Sand Sculpture Festival as COVID-19 cases rise

REVERE, Mass. — Dark clouds lingered over Revere Beach Thursday, as rain drops threatened beautiful sand sculptures in progress. But the bigger cloud hanging over the Revere International Sand Sculpture Festival may be the rising COVID-19 cases.

“There’s no denying the [festival] is the most exciting event on Revere Beach every year. At the same time, we cannot ignore the science and data – Revere’s case numbers have increased over the last few weeks,” Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo said in a press release Wednesday.

Revere’s COVID-19 positivity rate is 2.8 percent, slightly higher than the state’s rate of 2.61 percent. The city announced updated safety protocols officials hope will help cut down on large crowds.

“Revere Beach Partnership implemented several things to increase the ability of attendees to social distance,” the release said. “They decreased the total number of sculptures, spaced sculptures over greater distances to try to reduce crowding, spaced food vendors 30 feet apart, spaced exhibitors and sponsors 20 feet apart, and eliminated live music and the central stage.”

In addition, there will be mobile vaccination clinics and workers will have masks and PPE kits available for visitors.

“This year we’ve spread the event out quite a long distance and there’s no central pile,” said Rusty Croft, a sand sculpture from California.

“Everyone can spread out a bit more, go 360 [degrees] around the sculptures so there’s triple the area of outdoor space to move around and stay safe,” Croft said.

Gabby Nunez lives in Revere but said she’s skipping the festival because of her young son.

“Yeah, I’m nervous. He’s not able to get vaccinated so I don’t want to expose him,” Nunez said.

However, Revere resident Rob Selevitch will attend the festival and thinks the city has done a good job making adjustments.

“I can understand people have to make their own decision on things but you are outdoors, there’s a nice breeze, I mean life is what it is. You take your risks, you take your chances as you see fit,” Selevitch said.

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