About Us

People watching the sunset at Clearwater Beach

Sunsets at Pier 60

The purpose of Sunsets at Pier 60 is to promote Clearwater Beach and Pinellas County as a prime tourism destination. The festival strives to enhance the guest experience by encouraging longer stays while providing visitors and residents with additional evening entertainment options following their days spent enjoying the beach.

Sunsets at Pier 60 debuted on March 17, 1995 as a year-round nightly sunset celebration on the iconic Pier 60. This 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization serves as a free, family-friendly destination for tourists and locals to experience.

During its almost 30-year history, Sunsets at Pier 60 has produced numerous special events such as Beach Fest, Caribbean Christmas Art Show and FantaSea of Lights. In 2013, the nightly sunset celebration created a new destination event in partnership with the city of Clearwater called the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival.

Sugar Sand Festival

The Sugar Sand Festival is a 17-day beach wide celebration of Clearwater Beach’s two most notable natural assets: our sugar sand and sunsets. Master sand sculptors use 1,000 tons of Clearwater Beach sand to create a walk-through art exhibit housed in a 21,000-square-foot structure. The event also raises money for the community and supports the educational initiatives of the Sunsets at Pier 60 Festival.

The Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival is the largest destination event on Clearwater Beach attracting over 200,000 visitors over 17 days and has a $30,891,163 economic impact to the community. Sponsorship and activation opportunities are available.

line of visitors at the Sugar Sand Festival

Lisa Chandler, founder of the Sugar Sand Festival, was introduced to the concept of a walk-through sand sculpture exhibit more than 15 years prior to the debut of the first Sugar Sand Festival. She and her husband Steve have been business owners on Clearwater Beach for over 30 years, but serve in volunteer capacity for both Sugar Sand & Sunsets at Pier 60. Sunsets at Pier 60 has two full-time employees and boasts 600+ volunteers to facilitate their largest event. The Sunsets at Pier 60 Board of Directors is comprised of community leaders who volunteer their time and talents.