A 35-foot tree built entirely out of sand is about to take over the West Palm Beach waterfront again, and officials say it will flip on its lights for the first time this season during a free tree-lighting ceremony on Dec. 3. The sand sculpture, nicknamed Sandi, has become a signature piece of the city’s holiday celebrations, drawing crowds to the Great Lawn each winter.
A Towering Centerpiece Returns to the Great Lawn
Sandi is billed as the world’s only 35-foot, 700-ton holiday sand tree, according to thepalmbeaches.com. The towering sculpture sits on the West Palm Beach Great Lawn at 100 N. Clematis St., the same listing notes, anchoring a monthlong celebration known as Holiday in Paradise. Surrounding Sandi will be another 100 tons of accompanying sand sculptures, part of what the site describes as an annual celebration built around the centerpiece tree.
Sandi is scheduled to light up for the first time this season during the Clematis by Night Holiday Tree Lighting on Dec. 3, per the same thepalmbeaches.com listing. The free, family-friendly event is set to feature Sandi’s synchronized music and light shows along with live music. Once the season kicks off, the article notes those music and light shows will run nightly on the quarter hour from 6 to 10 p.m. through December, except on days with scheduled special events.
Holiday in Paradise Kicks Off Before Thanksgiving
The broader Holiday in Paradise celebration is set to begin even earlier, with the Palm Beaches listing stating the monthlong festivities kick off Nov. 27 with Nights in Northwood. A separate search-result snippet from the City of West Palm Beach lists the season running Nov. 27 through Dec. 31, 2026, under the theme “The Art of the Holidays.” That city listing carries a lower confidence rating than the other sourcing in this report, but it aligns with the Nov. 27 start date cited elsewhere.
As reported by WPBF 25 News, West Palm Beach officials are preparing for Sandi’s arrival at Centennial Square, with the tree’s arrival marking the start of the city’s annual Holiday in Paradise celebrations. The station reports that 700 tons of sand are scheduled to arrive next week, and that sculpting work will begin once that sand is delivered, eventually shaping it into the towering tree. WPBF also reports that live views of the Sandi Tree will be available throughout the holiday season, and that the station serves as the exclusive TV partner of the Sandi Tree Skycam.
How Last Year’s Sandi Came Together
Building a sand tree this size doesn’t happen overnight, and last year’s version offers a glimpse of the timeline. For the 2025 season, hundreds of tons of sand were scheduled for delivery to the waterfront, according to cbs12.com, with sculpting work beginning Nov. 17 that year. CBS12 also reported that the sand used for the 2025 tree was recycled from previous years, a detail that speaks to the sustainability angle behind the annual build…