MENTOR, Ohio — *Editor's Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.
Calling all beach lovers! The Mentor Headlands Beach Fest returned over the weekend after a two-year hiatus.
The shore front, claiming fame as Ohio's longest beach, hosted the "ultimate beach party" on Saturday, July 17 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The all-day event included entertainment, hands-on activities, arts and crafts, food trucks, craft vendors and the highly anticipated Ohio Master Sand Sculpting competition.
The competing sand sculptures included a cat family, an owl and two people hugging. According to the Beach Fest's Facebook Page, the sculptures will be available to view for several more days.
Karen Fralich took home the first prize win with her cat family sand sculpture. You can check out some of the images from the competition in the post below.
The sculptures took three days, beginning Thursday, July 15, to complete.
Music for the Beach Fest was provided by DJ Stay. Those in attendance also got to hear from Jasmine Dragons, view an acrobatic show and bubble magic.
The Headlands Beach Fest begin in 2014, and typically attract at least 15,000 visitors each year, as a way to celebrate the elements of wind, water and sand.
The Beach Fest is is presented by University Hospitals and sponsored by Meijer, Mutsko Insurance, CT Consultants, Mimi Vanderhaven, and Remarkable Lake County.
The annual event was canceled in 2019 due to historically high Lake Erie Water levels and was also canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Mentor Headlands State Park is located at 9601 Headlands Road.