AIA Sandcastle Weekend 2018 (new date)

One of our favorite events of the year is back with a new date: AIA Sand Castle Weekend will be held on Saturday, August 25, 2018. Traditionally held the first weekend in June, AIA Sand Castle Weekend has moved to August this year, but the fun you remember remains the same. Teams of castle builders will converge on Galveston’s East Beach to compete for the Golden Bucket Award—and ultimate bragging rights.

AIA’s Sand Castle Weekend is one of the largest sand castle events in the world. Our friends at the Greater Houston Builders Association Remodelers Council will compete alongside teams of architects, engineers, contractors, and students, in front of an estimated 20,000 spectators on Saturday, August 25.

Event Schedule

The AIA Sand Castle Weekend itinerary at-a-glance:

• 9 am: The public is encouraged to arrive to watch the competition begin
• 10 am-3 pm: Competition
• 1 pm-3:30 pm: Voting for “public favorite”
• 3 pm-4:30 pm: Judging
• 4:30: Awards ceremony

Awards & Categories

The Sand Castle competition’s top prize is known as “The Golden Bucket” and is awarded based on concept originality, artistic execution, technical difficulty, carving technique, and site utilization. Other prizes include Traditional Castle, Architectural, Kidtastic!, Houston-centric, Superheroes, Pop Culture, and World History, as well as Public Favorite, Tallest Standing Structure, and more.

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