It’s hard out here for a sand sculptor, when he tryin’ to get this sand for the castle.
Travelin’ to county fairs, what a hassle.
OK, so maybe the Academy Award-winning drama “Hustle & Flow” has little in common with professional sandcastle builders. But the way San Luis Obispo, Calif., couple Greg and Brandi Glenn told it at the Clark County Fair on Saturday, they’ve seen some crazy thangs in the streets.
The pair own Sandscapes and have been on the sandcastle circuit for 30 years. They’re part of the entertainment at the fair this week, constructing a scene of a group of farm animals huddled around a massive birthday cake in honor of the fair’s 150th anniversary.
“We were doing it as a hobby,” Greg Glenn said. “It just kind of blew up in the late ’80s.”
If You Go
• What:Clark County Fair.
• Hours Sunday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Where:17402 N.E. Delfel Road, Ridgefield.
• Admission:Adults, $11.25; seniors 62 and older, $9.25; kids 7-12, $8.25; kids 6 and younger, free.
• Parking and transportation:Parking, $6 per vehicle (cash only); C-Tran shuttle, free from six main transfer stations; $1 discount on full gate admission with bus transfer ticket. Schedules at www.c-tran.com/fair
• Carnival:Opens at noon.
• ERS Free Grandstand: Grand Funk Railroad, 7 p.m.
• Pets:Not permitted, except for service animals or those on exhibit or in competition.
• More information:ClarkCoFair.com
This time of year is particularly busy — they’re crisscrossing their way across the West and Midwest, stopping at county fairs for the next few weeks before eventually landing at the Iowa County Fair on Labor Day weekend.
And yes, that’s the same county fair where you usually see photos of an otherwise dignified politician going ham on a deep-fried confectionery. They once saw former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton flipping pork chops and have spotted with President Barack Obama and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
“They have an actual soapbox there,” Greg Glenn said.
Our fair’s sandcastle features 75 tons of sand from a local quarry — they like to source their sand locally, the Glenns said. Sculptors Sue McGrew and Brian Thomas put the finishing touches on bunny ears and a sheep’s eye. From here on out, it’s mostly improvised down to the ground, Greg Glenn said.
But in about a week, the sculpture will be demolished and washed away. Greg Glenn joked that the material could be recycled — maybe it can be used to fill potholes around the fair parking lot, he said.
Is it that hard to see it go?
It’s just part of the game, the Glenns say.
“If you can’t handle impermanence, you don’t do this business,” Brandi Glenn said.
