PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Festivals are starting up again along our coast after hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated our beach communities.
Treasure Island just announced its first-ever Sand & Kites & Coastal Delights festival.
"I will be out there sculpting…I cannot wait. It's been so long," said Meredith Corson Doubleday, a local sculptor.
Months after hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated the area, Treasure Island is trying to get back to some kind of normal.
"We have to move forward in some way…the businesses are open. I have a list of 20 businesses in a two-mile area that are open, and they are starving," said Doubleday.
Local festivals bring in tourism and help support those local businesses, but last year, Treasure Island's biggest event, Sanding Ovations, was canceled after the storms.
"Just to not have it was painful enough…and then on top of that, the hurricanes and everyone just losing so much stuff," said Doubleday.
Doubleday said now the City of Treasure Island is bringing back festivals, starting with a new on called Sand & Kites & Coastal Delights.
"We are going to have five of our sculptors here, we are going to have some tiki bars, and some vendors and live music, keeping it local and community-oriented," said Doubleday.
It's an event that will bring customers to businesses that have been struggling.
Clyde Smith is the General Manager of the Bilmar Beach Resort, which got flooded during last year's storms.
"Half of our first-floor rooms were severely damaged," said Smith.
Smith said after months of hosting displaced families and working to repair the hotel, the Bilmar is now booking guests from out of town.
"Now we have tourists coming back. Our Canadian friends are coming back. They are all looking for some normalcy, and we are going to provide that at Treasure Island," said Smith.
Smith and Doubleday hope the festival will help uplift the community.
"It's just exciting for the whole community, and we need that normal," said Smith.
"We just hope that this brings some joy. People are just really wanting something positive to do," said Doubleday.
The festival begins March 8.
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