OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Join Ocala Cultural Arts for the first Sand and Sun Festival, bringing the beach and sandy fun to downtown Ocala. The festival will be taking place on Saturday, May 16, 2026, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Citizen’s Circle, 151 SE Osceola Ave.
The festival will feature plenty of family-friendly activities including a children’s sandcastle playground with hands-on experience building their own sand sculptures. Guests can also support local artistry by exploring some of the artisan and craft vendors on site. Local nonprofits and sponsors will also have booths to learn about what the community has to offer. Throughout the festival, live music will provide energetic entertainment along with special performances.
The highlight of the festival will be the sand sculpture competition, the first of its kind in Ocala. Six nationally acclaimed sand sculptures will gather in Citizen’s Circle to create large-scale sand creations to impress expert judges. The sculptors include Amanda Buldoc, Andy Daily, Mitch Guerrero, Josh Jakubowski, Bruce Peck and Mark Wilson. Each artist has a variety of experiences in different sand sculpting competitions with most of them coming with over a decade of experience.
Amanda Buldoc comes with 20 years of nationwide competitive experience from Southwest Florida and has served as a representative of Team USA internationally. Andy Daily is an award-winning sand sculptor based in Florida and has served as the Sand Manager for the Siesta Key Crystal Classic International Sand Sculpting Festival for seven years. Mitch Guerrero comes with over a decade of experience with multiple notable first place wins in competitions across the country. Josh Jakuboswki has multiple honors in sculpting competitions, expanding his work with sand. Bruce Peck is a Master Sand Sculptor and has competed internationally. Mark Wilson has earned awards in multiple regional and national competitions, bringing 15 years of experience to this competition.
Enjoy a family-friendly day of sandy fun and lively entertainment at this one-of-a-kind festival. The festival is free to attend and open to the public for everyone to take part in the artistry. To learn more about the event and the sculptures, visit the City of Ocala’s website here.