California Beaches
California Sandcastle Festival Guide
Billions of grains of sand make up our California Beaches. Nearly every day of the year on some beach in California people are making sandcastles. Nature's perfect sculpting material requires a few simple tools -- even your hands will do! A bit of water to moisten the sand and a creative mind can make the time pass, spark the imagination into new ideas, theories and possibilities, and create a concrete object that you and others can look at and enjoy. Limited only by your mind, California beaches provide a playground for humans as the participate in sandcastle building. You don't have to wait for a sandcastle festival to start working on your skills. Start today, or during your next visit to a beach. For those who are really serious, get a few bags of sand for your home and begin practicing. There are tools of the trade to help sculpt great castles--straws to blow sand clean, knives, trowels, shovels and buckets for water are a few you might want to begin with.
Here are Sandcastle (or Sand Castle) Festival 2012 - These events generally repeat annually.
ALAMEDA Sand Castle and Sand Sculpture Contest June 9, 2012, 9 a.m.
46th Annual Sand Castle and Sand Sculpture Contest Saturday, June 9, 2012, 9 a.m.
Robert Crown Memorial State Beach
Westline and Otis Drive
Alameda, CA
cityofalamedaca.gov/Recreation/Sand-Castle
Co-sponsored by the Alameda Recreation and Park Department, East Bay Regional Park District, Bayview Women's Club and Alameda Youth Committee
Registration is from 9 a.m. to 11
a.m. that morning at Robert Crown Beach.
Viewing and judging of the masterpieces
begin at 12 noon. Awards presented at 1
p.m.
Categories for Sand Castle and Sand
Sculpture include:
Ages 12 and Under
Ages 13 and Over
Family
CARLSBAD Beach Fest Sand Sculpture
June 9, 2012
Carlsbad Beach Fest
Tamarack Beach
carlsbadbeachfest.com
NOTE: This is not a sandcastle contest! Art Seaside: U.S. Open Champion Archisand continues to be the event's featured artisan group, returning to create another gigantic sand sculpture to reflect the day's theme. Other artists, from painters to authors, will display and demonstrate their works in support of the mission.
CARMEL 52nd Annual
Sandcastle Sunday, September
9, 2012
Carmel Beach
Scenic, south of 10th
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
(831) 620-2020
ci.carmel.ca.us.com
Annual Sandcastle contest held on Carmel Beach, Scenic south of 10th. Building starts at 8 a.m. Judging from 12 Noon to 2 p.m. Monterey Bay Chapter of the AIA is also involved, aiamontereybay.org
CORONA DEL MAR Sandcastle Contest 51st annual October 7, 2012
Sandcastle Contest involves sandcastle building taken to a new level at the annual Corona del Mar Sandcastle Contest, where "seashore sculptors" have turned grains of wet sand into elaborate works of art for over 50 years. Thousands of sightseers descend on Corona del Mar State Beach to watch participants - ranging from novice to expert - construct more than 30 entries. View these creations for free as a spectator, or consider making your own for a minimal entrance fee. Join thousands of spectators as the Commodores Club of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual Sandcastle Contest on the beach. Participants' skill levels range in a wide variety--from children to professional architects. Talented groups will compete for the winning title. Register online...fees are as little as $30 for the team, and winning teams will receive prizes. 45 teams of 8 individuals is the maximum allowed to compete.
HUNTINGTON BEACH Sand Sculpture
Contest September 15-16, 2012
Family Activities, Sporting
Challenges and Competitive Events that
include a Sand Sculpture Contest.
hbdowntown.com
LONG BEACH Great Sand Sculpture
Contest August 11 -12, 2012
Granada Beach
1 Granada Ave.,
Long Beach, CA
lbsandcastle.com
80th Great Sand Sculpture Contest on
Saturday, August 11th and Sunday, August
12th! You can build your own sculpture
or just see the ones built by
professionals as well as corporate
and community teams. There will be
arts and crafts vendors, live music,
and food on both days!
PACIFICA Fog Fest Sand Sculpture Contest September 29-30, 2012
Palmetto at Highway 1
Pacifica, CA
(650) 355-8200
samuelcasillas@hotmail.com
pacificcoastfogfest.com
Annual Sand Castle and Sand Sculpture
Contest is a chance for your business,
family, group or organization to use
your creativity, have fun, enjoy the sun
and build the sand castle of your dreams
during the Pacific Coast Fog Fest. No
experience is necessary and amateur
teams are welcome. Family and friend
teams, community organizations and
school groups can enter the contest for
a $25 donation. Business entries and
sponsorships are $250 to $500 which will
go to cover event expenses. The
number of Entries will be restricted.
Entries will be considered on a first
come basis once your entry form has been
received and if you are a business once
your fee is received.
The contest starts at 11 am on Saturday
and the structures must be finished by 5
p.m. that day. Winners are announced
Sunday at 12pm Noon. The public can view
the entries as they are being built and
until the Fog Fest ends at 6 p.m. on
Sunday when children are encouraged to
take down the castles!
POINT REYES Sand Sculpture Contest at
Drakes Beach September 2, 2012
Drakes Beach
Ken Patrick Visitor Center
Point Reyes National Seashore, CA
(415) 464-5140
nps.gov
31st Annual Sand Sculpture Contest at
Drakes Beach on the Sunday of Labor Day
Weekend goes from 9 a.m. to 3:30
p.m.
This family event invites the
public to bring a picnic and spend the
day! Prizes awarded in each of
several age and group categories.
Free to participants and spectators.
Registration begins at 9 a.m. at
the Ken Patrick Visitor Center.
Judging begins at 12 Noon. Prizes
awarded at 3:30 p.m.
All ages at this free community event
located at Drakes Beach. Categories
include: Children (14 and under),
Families, Adult Individuals, and Adult
Groups. Three prizes will be awarded in
each of those categories, along with
prizes for the sculpture with the most
recycled plastic included. Prizes
donated by the Point Reyes National
Seashore Association. Dogs are NOT
allowed on this designated swimming
beach, and there is NO lifeguard on
duty.
SAN CLEMENTE Ocean Festival Sand
Sculpting Contest July 22, 2012
(festival held July 21-22, 2012)
San Clemente Pier
Avenida del Mar
San Clemente, CA
oceanfestival.org
Teams of up to 10 people each (20 spaces available) can compete in the following categories: Castles and Things, Creatures, Family or Open on Sunday. Grab your friends, family, co-workers & club members and come to the beach on Sunday. Parking for Ocean Festival:
SAN FRANCISCO Ocean Beach LEAP Sandcastle Contest October 2, 2012
Ocean Beach
San Francisco, CA
(415) 512-1899 or
julie@leaparts.org
leaparts.org
LEAP 29th Annual Sandcastle Contest
2012 Leap Year (things that jump)
Saturday, October 20, 2012, 10 a.m. - 4
p.m.
Teams of architects, engineers,
contractors, designers, corporations and
local elementary school students work
together to build giant sand sculptures.
The funds raised by teams and sponsors
make it possible for Leap to continue to
provide arts programs to Bay Area
schoolchildren. Thousands of people
attend Leap's annual Sandcastle Contest,
which is free to the community.
Celebrity judges evaluate the works of
art. More than 20 schools and 300
sponsors and advertisers participate.
LEAP was created in response to
severe budget cuts in arts programs in
California schools. Programs place
professional teaching artists in
classrooms to work with grades K-8.
Every year, these educational
programs--in music, dance, theatre,
creative writing, visual arts, and
architecture serve thousands of students
in elementary and middle
schools throughout the Bay Area.
SAN PEDRO Family Sandcastle Building
Day July 14, 2012
3720 Stephen M. White Drive
San Pedro, CA
(310) 548-7562
cabrillomarineaquarium.org
Family Sandcastle Building Day Saturday, July 14, 2012 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Pile some sand, add some water, do a little shaping and presto! Your very own sandcastle. Bring your little shovel, a bucket and come on down for some sand fun. This is a free event open to everyone. Just bring a bucket, a shovel and your imagination. Water is provide.