VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — After days of delays, Neptune's International Sandsculpting Championship finally kicked off at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront!
The event was originally set to start last Friday, but due to the remnants of Hurricane Ian, it was postponed until Wednesday.
13News Now spoke to the Neptune Festival's CEO Kit Chope who said despite the weather issues, the festival has been a big hit.
"Today we've had 650-some odd folks come through. So, we're open, we're ready and the sculptures look fantastic," Chope said.
Chope said this year's event features 31 artists from 11 different countries. Each artist had 30 hours to complete the sculpture, and the results are breathtaking.
"Our sand sculpting competition is easily one of the most prestigious in North America. We have the largest purse: $58,000 goes to these artists," Chope said.
If you'd like to check out the sculptures, the exhibit will be open Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m.
