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Sandcastle Competition Committee

Sandcastle Competition

Saturday, September 21, 2024

East Beach parking is $15 (CASH ONLY; NO ATM)

All attendees 12 years old and older must purchase a ticket. Tickets can be pre-ordered or purchased at the gate for $10.00. Your ticket does not include parking.

Pre-order a ticket using the link below.

East Beach
1923 Boddeker
Galveston, TX 77550
Purchase Tickets
Additional Resources

Sandcastle Competition Committee
2024 Sandcastle Competition
Galveston Sandcaste Festival Winners
2024 Sandcastle Teams
Sponsors
Team and Sponsor Information
Teams: Frequently Asked Questions
Sandcastle Building Tips
Sustainability Efforts

Co-Chair
Ashley Heitmeier Hesser
heitmeiera@yahoo.com

Co-Chair
Animesh Gupta, RA, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Jacobs
Animesh.Gupta@jacobs.com

Staff Liaison
Alex Moreno
alexm@aiahouston.org

Staff Liaison (Vendor Contracts)
Jennifer Ward
jennifer@aiahouston.org

Sandcastle Competition Committee

ABOUT THE 2024 EVENT

The American Institute of Architects and La Izquierda Fest partner to enrich the annual AIA Sandcastle Competition with music, vendors, and family-friendly activities at East Beach – presented by 811 Call or Click Before You Dig!

Competing teams have their eyes and shovels set on winning the prestigious Gold Bucket Award. Firms begin months in advance generating ideas, developing designs, and assigning duties. On the day of the event, the teams – stretched along the beach front – meticulously sculpt their piles of sand and work non-stop for five hours.

The judging of the sculptures is rated on the originality of concept, artistic execution, technical difficulty, carving technique, and utilization of the site.  At the end of the day, everyone goes home with memories of a great day at the beach filled with fun, sand, and sun.

THE SAND SCULPTURES

Please respect the hard work of our participants by not touching any of the sand sculptures even after the event.
 Many spectators visit the beach the next day, on Sunday, to view and enjoy the sculptures.

EVENT DAY
6:30am Beach opens for teams and sponsors
10:00am Public is encouraged to begin to arrive to watch the competition
10:00am – 3:00pm Teams compete and build
10:00pm – 4:00pm Castle Creation Kid Zone
10:00pm – 4:00pm Solar Cooking Demonstration
11:00am | 1:00pm | 3:00pm Sandcastle Building Lessons from a Pro
1:00pm – 3:30pm Public favorite voting
3:00 – 4:30pm Judging
5:00pm Awards

PARTICIPATING TEAMS
A list of participating teams can be found HERE.

BEACH VENDING PERMITS
Report Sea Turtles 866-887-8535 (866Turtle5)
Report Stranded Mammals 800-962-6625 (9Mammal)

ACCESSIBILITY
Free beach wheelchairs are available at East Beach on a first come first serve basis and cannot be reserved. They glide through the sand with ease and float in the water, but they are not self-propelled and therefore require assistance to push the wheelchair.
How to get: Please let the gate attendant know you would like a beach wheelchair and meet a staff member on the east side of the pavilion.
Click HERE for more information.

TEAM Questions? Contact Alex
SPONSORSHIP Questions? Contact Aleks

Today

Sandcastle Competition Committee

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