Galveston Sandcastle Festival Draws Record Crowd of Over 10,000 The annual Sandcastle Festival at East Beach was a major success this past weekend, drawing in over 10,000 visitors, a thousand more than last year's attendance. Caitlin Carnes, public relations manager for Visit Galveston, said the festival is in its second year of a new, expanded format and is seeing great growth. The event, which was formerly known as the AIA Sandcastle Competition, partnered with Visit Galveston and La Isquierda Fest to create a two-day festival that has something for everyone. In addition to the stunning sand sculptures created by professional teams, the festival now featured a vendor village, live concerts, an amateur sandcastle competition, and lessons for kids. The partnership with the Park Board and AIA Houston was formed to ensure the sustainability of the event, which had faced challenges with rising costs. The new format, said by Carnes, has "lifted all boats," benefiting all organizations involved and allowing individual vendors to keep their profits. Winning the coveted "Golden Bucket" award this year was a team with the sculpture "Shrek Love Island." Another fan favorite, "The Chamber of Sand," a tribute to Harry Potter, is also still standing. Carnes encourages people to visit East Beach and see the sandcastles before they are weathered away by the elements.

Posted by i45NOW Chris McGlothlin at 2025-09-15 23:00:42 UTC