Sandfest takes over Grover Beach

Off-Highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts will congregate on the Grover Beach dunes this weekend to celebrate their love for deep tread, 4-wheel drive, and of course, miles and miles of sand.

With 10,000 people likely to converge on West Grand Avenue and U.S. Highway 1 for two days of off-road exhibitions, vehicle part vendors, and the people’s choice “Shine and Show,” this year’s Grover Beach Sandfest is expected to be the Central Coast summer event for all things off-road.

“We are going for big, bigger and bigger,” said Susie Cox who helped chair the Sandfest committee with her daughter and husband.

Sandfest is open and free to the public who can enter their own vehicles in the “Shine and Show” to be judged by their peers. The show is open to all makes and models of OHVs. The winner will be announced Sunday at 2 p.m. after a live performance by Resination.

“It’s not so much about the competition as it’s more just to get together to see what everyone else is doing with their vehicles,” said Michael Johnson who attended the past two Sandfests and plans to enter his custom Toyota 4×4 in this year’s show.

The two-day event, beginning on August 12 at 10 a.m., will also include a jeep teeter-totter, several live music performances and a demonstration by the U.S. Army.

To put some icing on the high-octane, sand-dusted, man-cake, the Grover Beach Chamber of Commerce has arranged for a special appearance by the Coors Light Girls, who will be awarding the Best in Show trophy on Sunday.

“We’ve got beer, music, sand, and girls,” said Grover Cox, Vice President of the Grover Beach Chamber of Commerce. “What else would a guy want?”

While the third annual Sandfest is expected to be a raucous and rowdy time the intention of those putting on the event, including the Grover Beach Chamber of Commerce, the City of Grover Beach, California State Parks, and the Friends of the Oceano Dunes, is to commemorate the unique drive-on dunes that make this area special.

“We want to bring awareness to the dunes and celebrate our access to the beach,” said Cox. “The great thing is that you can’t do this everywhere.” For more information on Sandfest contact the Grover Beach Chamber of Commerce at 489-9091.