Sand & Sea Salisbury heats up the surf and shore with annual beach festival

SALISBURY — Sun and fun, beach and waves, music and fireworks, sports and contests with a dash of nostalgia and renewal. Blend that with Sea-Doo races, games, crafts, rides, face painting and enough food to fill everyone's stomach and you've got the second annual Sand & Sea Festival at Salisbury Beach.

After its successful debut in 2007, the Salisbury Beach Partnership has brought the two-day family event back with some new additions — including amusement rides in the beach center — to pair with all of last year's favorites.

The rides will allow youngsters to make new memories while providing some nostalgia for the not so young who remember the Salisbury Beach of yesteryear. Sponsored by the Institution for Savings, they will be set up temporarily at Pirates Fun Park. If all goes as expected, the rides — including bumper cars, a roller coaster and a giant slide — will not only be available on Saturday and Sunday, but tomorrow night as well.

The weekend's lineup features the return of the Toyota/Sea-Doo race series. This time, the U.S. Regional Championships title for Sea-Doo personal watercraft racers is at stake off Salisbury Beach. Races are planned for both days, with a 30-minute half-time, freestyle show that will showcase the acrobatic talents of 12 to 15 specialized athletes on their crafts performing choreographed routines set to music.

On the shore, beach volleyball tournaments are planned. For those who have always wanted to learn to surf, lessons and a chance to catch some of Salisbury Beach's well-known wave action will be available. And on the educational front, Seacoast Science Center of Rye, N.H., is set to teach young and old about the area's ocean and marine life.

Popular bands The Brew, Entrain and Noddaclu will entertain in separate concerts over the weekend. So pack a picnic or grab some street food, bring a blanket and get ready for the beachside serenade.

For the younger set, Yo-Yo People and The Jim Show will delight with street performances. There will be free ice cream and the Sand & Sea Kids Fair will feature make-your-own sand art and T-shirts. Even pets get their own parade on Sunday morning when canines commandeer Broadway.

As many know, going to Salisbury Beach and not eating pizza is a crime. So pizza lovers will take center stage Saturday night for the Beach Pizza Eating Contest. Word is the contest was the favorite event of Salisbury Beach Partnership Director and event organizer Kathy Aiello last year. Why not? It offers all the free pizza you can eat and a prize for those who devour the most. To heighten the excitement, organizers are conducting an online poll of the best beach pizza in Salisbury.

No beach festival is complete without fireworks, and the Sand & Sea Festival is no exception. Beginning at dusk on Saturday, a 25-minute display of boomers and blazers that's being billed as the "largest north of Boston" will be launched from an ocean barge.

While the main events are Saturday and Sunday, those who get to the beach a day early won't be disappointed. Word is the corporate sponsors of the event will take off their suits and ties tomorrow, step into beach attire and onto their own Sea-Doos. Starting at 1 p.m., the Corporate Challenge will see teams from Comcast, Institution for Savings and possibly SPS New England facing off for bragging rights.

If You Go:

What: Sand & Sea Festival

When: Saturday, 10 a.m. to midnight; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Salisbury Beach and beach center

How: Drive, walk or sail in, with ample parking available in town lots. Visit www.sandandseafestival.com.

Festival 101:

No swimming zone: To ensure public safety, a 1,000-foot section of the beach at the center will be closed to swimmers during the Sea-Doo races Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Spectators are allowed on the beach and swimming will be permitted on either side of the 1,000-foot section.

Street closings: Ocean Front South will be closed starting at 3 p.m. tomorrow through Monday morning. Broadway will be closed to vehicular traffic from 6 a.m. Saturday until 9 p.m. Sunday.

Fireworks Beach Blast: Want to make sure the Sand & Sea Festival continues to be part of Salisbury's summer fun, while enjoying a night of food, music and fireworks? Take in the Fireworks Beach Blast planned for Saturday night from 8 to midnight.

Sponsored by the Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank, the event is a fundraiser for the Salisbury Beach Partnership, which works to organize and pay for the Sand & Sea Festival and the upcoming Merrimack River Maritime Festival in July featuring a visit by historic tall ships.

A ticketed event taking place at the SurfSide5 (the former 5 O'clock Club) right on Salisbury Beach, the Blast features tropical hors d'oeuvres and a chocolate dessert fountain. The music of Bahama Bob will entertain the crowd. And attendees will have arguably the best seat in Salisbury — the deck at the SurfSide5 — from which to watch the fireworks. Surprises and giveaways are also planned.

The Daily News
By Angeljean Chiaramida/Staff writer
Published: June 26, 2008