The 40th Annual Sandcastle Contest Returns to Rehoboth Beach Sept. 7

Adobe Stock./By Sergey Novikov

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Do you get creative—and perhaps, a little competitive—when you build sandcastles? If so, then you won’t want to miss the 40th Annual Sandcastle Contest on Saturday, Sept. 7 in Rehoboth Beach. Hosted by the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce, the contest is open to both adults and children of all skill levels. Registration is free and participants may sign up under the blue Chamber tent between 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sand sculptures may be started at any time on the day of competition, but must be completed for judging by 3 p.m.

The participant divisions are:

• Adult (age 15 and older)
• Youth (age 7-14)
• Business
• Smiley (age 6 and younger)

The contest will be held on the beach off of Delaware Avenue in front of Funland. The public is invited to vote for their favorite Adult, Youth and Business creations by completing an event evaluation between 3-4 p.m. Trophies will be awarded to the top eight People’s Choice Favorites in both the “Adult” and “Youth 7-14” divisions. One trophy will be awarded to the People’s Choice Favorite “Business” division entry. Winners will be announced at approximately 4:30 p.m.

Piles of sand must be formed by manpower only. Mechanized assistance is not allowed. The sculptures must contain only objects natural to the beach (shells, stones, seaweed, etc.) Participants must stay away from the dunes and are prohibited from using dune grass. The use of food coloring is prohibited, and sculptures may not be dampened or sprayed with any solutions other than water.

To kick-off the festivities, sand sculpting artists Darrell O’Connor and Andy West will be on the beach at Rehoboth Avenue and the Boardwalk from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6, giving free sculpting demonstrations and lessons. On Saturday, O’Connor will lead the building of a community sculpture. Participants can sign up to lend a hand at the contest registration tent.

The event is weather dependent. For more information, visit the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce’s website.