AIA Sandcastle Festival

Every summer in Galveston, experience over 60 teams competing to win the prestigious Golden Bucket Award.

The AIA Houston & La Izquierda Galveston Sandcastle Festival is a fundraising event for AIA Houston and ArCH Foundation as well as one of the top five revenue-generating events for the City of Galveston.

Date(s): Sept 13-14, 2025

Event Details

About Galveston Sandcastle Festival

Galveston Sandcastle Festival is a music, food and family festival hosted on East Beach in Galveston, TX, centered around the AIA Houston Sandcastle Competition.

Expect a fun, family friendly atmosphere and an amazing Sandcastle competition showcasing local music, food, art and small businesses from Galveston and the Houston area .

Look Back on Galveston Sandcastle Festival 2024

What to Expect

Day 1
Competition Day

Competitors are hitting the sand and building for five intense hours as they fight to maintain the structural integrity of their sculptures. The competition is considered one of the world’s largest amateur sandcastle competitions and draws thousands of spectators to watch teams vie for the coveted Golden Bucket Award. Plus, attendees can partake in free sandcastle-building lessons from a professional sandcastle builder!

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Day 2
Bonus Viewing Day

By popular demand, the Galveston Park Board is working to help teams maintain the event's sandcastles overnight for beachgoers to take in these architectural marvels (with smaller crowds). There are also free sandcastle building lessons in conjunction with this viewing at 11AM, 1PM and 3PM.

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Galveston Sandcastle Festival
East Beach Cantina & Rentals

Rent a cabana from East Beach Cantina and Rentals during the Galveston Sandcastle Festival for a relaxing, shaded spot right by the action. Enjoy prime beachfront seating with all-day access to food, drinks, and the perfect view of incredible sand sculptures.

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Directions: Galveston Causeway to East Beach

East Beach is located at the very far eastern tip of the Island on Boddecker Drive. To get there, take Seawall Boulevard past Stewart Beach two miles until it dead ends. Then hang a right on Boddecker and follow the beach road all the way down.

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