Mid-Week Beach Blast In Downtown North Adams

By Susan Bush
12:00AM / Friday, July 07, 2006

Eagle Street Beach founder Eric Rudd

North Adams - Get the sunscreen, sandals and swimsuits ready!

On July 12, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., the city's historic Eagle Street is set to morph into its' alter ego, a long, sandy beach.

The eighth annual Eagle Street Beach bash is expected to offer live musical entertainment and most street shops will be open, with some store owners hosting sidewalk food and drink venues. As is the event tradition, beach toys such as pails and shovels will be made available for free and prizes will be awarded for creative sand sculptures such as sand castles and other artistic expressions. There is no admission charge to the "beach."

There was plenty of fun during a 2005 Eagle Street beach bash.

The "beach" is being created courtesy of Specialty Minerals, Inc., of Adams and the City of North Adams. The private company is donating over 250,000 pounds of sand and city trucks will deliver the sand to the street. City workers use rakes and shovels to spread the sand as it is poured from dump trucks. The deliveries continue until the entire street surface is covered in sand.

Following the event, the sand is cleared from the street by city workers.

The beach bash was launched in 1999 and was founded by artist and property developer Eric Rudd. Rudd envisioned the beach party as a work of living art and considered the first event to be part of a Contemporary Artists Center "Downtown Installations" art project. The event proved popular and has become a downtown summer tradition with the support of the city and street business owners.

Sand duty

Sponsors of the Eagle Street beach party also include the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, the Steeplecats baseball team, and the Adams Co-operative Bank.

In the event of rain or threat of rain, the beach bash will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on July 13.

Sand sculptors are most welcome.

Additional information about the event may be acquired by calling Eric Rudd at 413-664-9550 or via e-mail at cacart@together.net or by contacting the Mayor's Office of Tourism and Culture at 413-664-6180, or at tourist@bcn.net.

Susan Bush may be reached via e-mail at suebush@iberkshires.com or at 802-823-9367.