2024 Galveston Sandcastle Festival

The 2024 Galveston Sandcastle Festival will feature live music, food trucks, sandcastle lessons, an amateur sandcastle competition, plus the AIA professional sandcastle building competition. (Photo courtesy of the Galveston CVB)

The Galveston Sandcastle Festival returns to the island’s East Beach bigger and better Sept. 21-22, 2024. The weekend-long event pits some of the best sculptors in the region in a sand carving competition combined with a chance for families to build their own works of sand art.
 
Formerly the AIA Sandcastle Competition, this year’s event was brought forth with collaboration among the Galveston Park Board, La Izquierda Fest, and the Houston Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The event will feature live music, food trucks, sandcastle lessons, an amateur sandcastle competition, plus the AIA professional sandcastle building competition. 
  
The signature event on Saturday is the traditional sandcastle building contest with teams from AIA. Sunday brings new programming including a Sunday Brunch with food trucks and a Beachside Bloody Mary Battle. A Sunday highlight is the inaugural amateur Sandcastle Building Contest for individuals. Also on Sunday, East Beach visitors can view the sandcastle structures created Saturday. 
  
Festival Schedule
Saturday, Sept. 21
10 a.m. Gates open to the public. 
Band: Girl Buoy
11 a.m. Sandcastle lessons for the public begin 
11:30 a.m. Band: Austin Gaston 
12 -9:15 p.m. Free shuttle service is available from Stewart Beach to East Beach 
1 p.m. Voting for best sandcastle begins
Band: Karankawa
Sandcastle lessons for the public begin 
2 p.m. Band: Kevin Anthony & G-Town
4 p.m. Band: Galvezton
5 p.m. Awards are announced 
6 p.m. Band: India Tigers in Texas
8 p.m. Band: DJ DeLady
 
Sunday, Sept. 22
10 a.m. Gates open to the public.
Band: Songs for Life
Amateur Sandcastle Contest begins
11 a.m. Bloody Mary Battle begins
11:30 a.m. Band: Raa Tansial
1 p.m. Band: Oje Band
2:3o p.m. Band: Youth Soul Love 
3:00 p.m. Amateur Sandcastle Contest ends