About SandFest

Chimney Bluffs State Park, Lake Ontario, Wolcott, New York, USA | Photo by Leo Kenney

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What Is a SandFest?

ISCS SandFest is a gathering of people who enjoy studying and trading sand!  Multiple days of fun with sand!

Members of the International Sand Collectors Society meet to share their knowledge and enjoyment of sand and anyone interested in sand.

The most recent SandFest was the first SandFest ever held in the US Northeast. It was held on September 25, 26, 27, 28, 2025, on Lake Ontario at the Sterling Nature Center in Sterling , NY.

Reasons to Attend a SandFest

  • The presentations are excellent!

  • The workshops are educational and fun!

  • The field trips are a great opportunity to collect sand!

  • You get to see ISCS members you rarely get to see!

  • You get to see sand friends you rarely get to see!

  • You get to make new sand friends!

  • You get to trade lots of sand with lots of people!

SandFest 2028 Survey

Response Deadline: April 18, 2026

The SandFest Committee has been meeting over the past several months to identify and evaluate potential locations for a future SandFest in 2028. Based on those discussions, we’ve narrowed the list to four candidate locations:

  • Anchorage, Alaska

  • Cape May, New Jersey

  • Naples, Florida

  • Santa Barbara, California

In selecting these, we considered factors such as having a new and interesting location, ease of travel (air and/or car), nearby lodging, suitable meeting venues, opportunities for local and regional field trips, and overall cost. The information we have at this stage is preliminary.

We are now seeking input from ISCS members to help guide the final selection.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey on the ISCS Members Area website. Members will also receive email about the survey with a link to the survey.

Important: At the end of the survey, you can choose your favorite location. Please select a location that you would genuinely attend. In other words, only choose a location if you would realistically plan to travel there for SandFest, and you selected either “Yes, I would attend” or “Probably I would attend” for that location.

Your responses will directly inform our final site selection and subsequent planning, including venue, timing, and cost considerations.

Thanks in advance for your input. It is very helpful as we work toward the next SandFest.

The SandFest Committee