Now in its sixth year, the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival on Clearwater Beach has long been the passion project of organizer Lisa Chandler.
This year is no exception.
"When we first started this, most people said, 'You're building sandcastles?' They couldn't understand that we were creating a world-class art exhibit on the beach," said Chandler, who runs the Barefoot Beach House on Clearwater Beach.
This year, 11 sculptors from all over the world — including Japan, Mexico, and the Netherlands —…