The Revere Beach Partnership is known for several events, but most notably the International Sand Sculpting Festival, which draws more than 500,000 people to Revere Beach. Last week, the Partnership announced the upcoming calendar for activities at the beach at a breakfast meeting that was held at Comfort Inn.
The following Revere Beach Partnership events are scheduled for this year: Shamrock Splash, March 11; Revere Beach Kite Festival, May 20; International Sand Sculpting Festival, July 20-22; Revere Beach Arts Festival, Sept. 15 and the Fall Festival & Pumpkin Dash 5K, Oct. 14.
The mission of the Revere Beach Partnership is to carry forward the heritage of Revere Beach as a nearby retreat for New England families and to preserve the beach’s unique historic and natural assets.
Lauren Laidlaw, executive director of the partnership, said they are looking for a large sponsor this year and in years to come. As volunteers it is hard to raise money each year for the events.
“It would help take the burden off our organization which is stress,†Laidlaw said. “Stress to keep the level of programming and quality ongoing.â€
She said every time there is a breach at other events they have to think about that here and implement new ideas.
“Large snowplow trucks are needed to protect our citizens, we have that level of responsibility,†Laidlaw said. “We can’t do that without public safety and all that takes cash and time.â€
“We’d love to share the spotlight,†Laidlaw said, adding that the partnership is made of volunteers. “We want to preserve the heritage and know that the beach is a great place to bring your family.â€
Laidlaw said they are looking ahead to enhancements that can be made to the beach. Those who live in Revere also want to see the partnership address some issues that come up when events are held.
Eleanor Viera, of the Revere Beautification Committee, which also works with the DCR, asked about crowds, trash and other issues that come with an influx of people. She noted the existing traffic problems in the city and the addition of even more for events.
“When you go to the sandcastle you don’t see many people from Revere,†Viera said. “It’s all outsiders. It’s very hard. It’s good, but there’s a lot of work to be done.â€
“The truth is the way we get better is with honest feedback,†Laidlaw said. “We have a ways to go to get even better and every year we evolve. We need to work on traffic and trash every year so it gets better and better.â€
One vendor that was creating too much trash was not invited back, Laidlaw said.
“We’re not just an event company, we’re also really concerned about our environment,†said State Rep. RoseLee Vincent. “We’re doing a lot more than event planning.â€
She noted that DCR does a great job removing trash.
Ward 2 Councillor Ira Novoselsky said to live in the neighborhood is to feel the impact of traffic. He suggested the use of shuttles and more information on the use of shuttles and where to park. He suggested that the traffic coming out of the Saturday night fireworks needs to also be addressed.