Revere officials are increasing safety precautions at this year’s International Sand Sculpting Festival, hosting mobile vaccine clinics and increasing the number of health personnel as the delta variant causes cases to rise in the city, Mayor Brian Arrigo announced on Wednesday.
“There’s no denying that the International Sand Sculpting Festival is the most exciting event on Revere Beach every year,” Arrigo said in a statement. “At the same time, we cannot ignore the science and data – Revere’s case numbers have increased over the last few weeks. These safety protocols are in place to keep our community safe. Vaccines work and they have proven to be the best way to combat the virus – we will have vaccinations readily available for guests and encourage others to get tested, we are hopeful that this weekend will be safe for all those visiting Revere Beach.”
Festival attendees will be able to get their shots from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday from the Mass General Brigham Mobile Vaccination Van and Cataldo Ambulance. The Revere Board of Health will also provide masks for distribution throughout the weekend.
To further protect public safety, the event organizer Revere Beach Partnership decreased the number of sculptures and will space out sculptor locations, food vendors and exhibits.
Get New England news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NECN newsletters.
The organization also cancelled live music that was planned for the event.
“The mission of the Revere Beach Partnership is to preserve and enhance America’s first public beach for the enjoyment of all. With this as our focus, we are committed to creating a safe, family-friendly event and are working to develop a modified version of our beloved International Sand Sculpting Festival for all to enjoy,” John Hamel, chairman of the Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival Committee, said in a statement.
