Twilight Celebration at the Beach

Clearwater Beach, Florida, puts the sun on center stage at the end of each day. The supporting cast is good too.

Fiery colors explode like a volcano over cool, white sands and turquoise waters, but what I like best about the sunsets in this town is how long they last.

There's enough time to have your portrait painted or dance to the lively rhythm of a band. It's all part of the fun during Sunsets at Pier 60, a free, four-hour ritual that celebrates the end of every day in Clearwater Beach.

Sidewalk by the Sea

The family-friendly block party starts two hours before sunset and continues for another two hours after. Even the pelicans vie for seats on pilings beside the pier that juts out into the Gulf.

Visitors stroll the wide, elevated walkway where artisans sketch portraits and sell crafts made of sand and shells. Down below, teenagers play along the water's edge. Couples lean back in the soft sand, watching the sun slip lower.

At a pavilion in front of the pier, a street entertainer named Dallas can already feel the heat. He slowly swallows a flaming baton and then deftly picks his hat off the pavement with his foot and tosses it on his head.

There's music and other entertainment, but it's all only a warm-up act for the real star of the show. Out on the horizon, a big ball of fire slips through a lacy ring of clouds. Nothing but net. It's a slam dunk way to end the day. -LES THOMAS

For more information: Contact the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at www.floridasbeach.com or 1-877-352-3224. For an entertainment schedule, visit www. sunsetsatpier60.com.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Mar 2007
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