Sandcastle Competition, presented by 811
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Tickets
Saturday: $15.00
Sunday: $10.00
Chilren 12 and under are granted free general admission
A ticket must be purchased for each day.
East Beach parking is $15 (not included with the purchase of ticket(s)).
Co-Chair
Animesh Gupta, RA, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
BSA
Co-Chair
Lisa Bench
Gensler
Lisa_bench@gensler.com
Staff Liaison (teams and vendor contracts)
Alex Moreno
alexm@aiahouston.org

Sandcastle Competition Committee
ABOUT THE 2025 EVENT
The American Institute of Architects and La Izquierda Fest partner to enrich the annual AIA Sandcastle Competition, presented by 811, with music, vendors, and family-friendly activities at East Beach.
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.
Visit the main Galveston Sandcastle Festival page here!
For team and vendor questions, contact Alex.
For sponsorship questions, contact Aleks.