Sand, sweat and sculpture: Galveston sandcastle festival builds memories

GALVESTON, Texas – On Galveston’s East Beach, piles of sand became buildings, historic figures and even the Buc-ee’s Beaver in just a matter of hours — all carved by architects and engineers armed with shovels and buckets.

More than 25 teams descended on East Beach over the weekend to compete in the annual Galveston Sandcastle Festival, a two-day event that combined serious artistry, family fun and coastal vibes.

Organized by AIA Houston in partnership with La Izquierda Fest, the festival challenged architecture, design and engineering firms and university teams to sculpt elaborate works of sand and water in just five hours.

Judges scored creations based on originality of concept, artistic execution, technical difficulty, carving technique and use of the site.

Spectators also had plenty to enjoy: free lessons from professional sandcastle builders, a kid zone, live music, and food and vendor booths.

The sculptures remained on display through Sunday, giving visitors a chance to revisit the artwork.

Check out some of the artwork below. 👇