Sandcastle Competition

Sandcastle Competition

Usually July

The Sandcastle Competition is a cash-prize arts competition in the most ephemeral of media, sand and water, held since 1981 in Imperial Beach, Calif. Close to 250,000 spectators come for the parade, the food booths, the fireworks, the band concert—and the sand-castle building. This is no child's play; about 400 amateur and professional contestants compete for cash prizes totaling more than $20,000. Professionals make money building huge sand castles in malls and hotels.
There are specific rules regarding the construction of the castles: no adhesives can be used, but water spray rigs are allowed to keep the art works from drying out and blowing away; teams can number up to 10, but no substitutions are permitted.
In the past, the sand sculptures have represented assorted animals from the nearby San Diego Zoo, including hippos, lions, elephants, and creatures of the sea. One "castle" was a sand sofa with a sand man seated on it, a sand dog by his side, a sand television set, and a sand beer can. The sculpting is always scheduled for a Sunday, and by Sunday night the elaborate works of art, some 14 feet long, are lost to high tide.
The date of the festival is set through checking oceanographic tide tables to make sure the sculpting happens on a day when the tide is lower than normal. Events preceding the Sunday competition are a casual-dress Sandcastle Ball on Friday night, a community breakfast, parade, children's sand-sculpting contest, art exhibits, and fireworks. On Sunday, there's nothing but sculpting and live music.

CONTACTS:
The U.S. Open Sandcastle Committee Inc.
P.O. Box 476
Imperial Beach, CA 91933
619-424-6663