Sandy is a villager who lives and works at the Oasis in the Calico Desert. She runs the shop there and does not leave the Oasis during normal hours, making her one of the most isolated residents in the game. She is closely tied to the Desert Trader, Emily, and the Desert Festival, and her friendship events include mail gifts, recipes, and special dialogue.
Sandy can normally be found behind the counter at the Oasis from 9:00 AM to 11:50 PM while the store is open. On her birthday, Fall 15, her routine changes: she spends the morning at the Oasis, then leaves around 1:00 PM and spends the rest of the day moving around the desert with Emily before returning late at night. She never visits the Beach Resort on Ginger Island. When the bus is restored, she also has a special spring schedule during the Desert Festival days, and on Fall 15 she follows a detailed festival route around the desert. On Saturdays, she gives the player Milk when spoken to.
Sandy’s gifts are fairly generous. She loves Crocus, Daffodil, Mango Sticky Rice, and Sweet Pea. She likes all fruit, Goat Milk, Large Goat Milk, Quartz, and Wool. She is neutral toward most eggs and a wide range of forage items and dairy products, but hates Holly. At the movies, she loves several films, including It Howls In The Rain, Journey Of The Prairie King: The Motion Picture, Mysterium, Natural Wonders: Exploring Our Vibrant World, The Brave Little Sapling, The Miracle At Coldstar Ranch, The Zuzu City Express, and Wumbus. For concessions, she loves Cotton Candy and Stardrop Sorbet, dislikes Black Licorice, Joja Cola, JojaCorn, and Sour Slimes, and likes everything else.
Friendship with Sandy can also produce mail rewards. Once you have at least one friendship point, she may send you a gift in the mail, with the chance increasing as friendship rises. At seven hearts, she sends the recipe for Tom Kha Soup. She can also be requested for Help Wanted quests outside Pierre’s General Store, which reward 3 times the item’s base value plus 150 friendship points. In The Pirate’s Wife quest, she receives the Stardew Valley Rose.
Sandy’s relationship with other characters is part of her identity. She allows Mister Qi to operate his casino behind her shop, and while she is not especially close to him, she accepts the arrangement. She is friends with Emily, who first told her about the new farmer, and she also refers to the Desert Trader as a friend who runs a shop in the desert. She may attend movies with Emily as well.
A few other details stand out. Sandy is not her real name, and the game never reveals her actual name. Her top can be tailored using 1 Cloth and 1 Tom Kha Soup to create the Oasis Gown. The Sandy Rug is a furniture item sold for Calico Eggs by the Calico Egg Merchant at the Desert Festival, and it can be placed indoors; it is also one of the few rugs that cannot be bought from any furniture catalogue.
