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🏰 Americas · USA

Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest

BUILD a sand sculpture in your own plot, using only sand, water and things native to the beach.

Team entry
12 Jun 2027Next date
None listedNext deadline / key date
June (a low-tide Saturday)Usual timing
Cannon Beach, Oregon, USAWhere
01 · How to take part

Your way in

Enter a division (individual, small or large group, teen, junior, family) when registration opens, then sculpt in your plot during the build window before the tide comes in.

Team entry

Sculpt in your own plot

Register in a division (individual, small or large group, teen, junior or family) and build in your plot on contest day. Only sand and water; decorate only with things native to the beach (seaweed, driftwood, shells). The evening tide washes the sculptures away.

You build or use
BUILD a sand sculpture in your own plot, using only sand, water and things native to the beach
Participation
Build-compete (open divisions; Masters by invitation)
Entry and deadlines
2027 registration details are due in February 2027 (official registration page)
Where
Cannon Beach (beach off the 'Presidential' streets, near Madison St), Oregon, USA
02 · Dates

Dates and deadlines, Jan 2026 to Dec 2027

Usual timing: June (a low-tide Saturday). Dates are only shown where a source publishes them; everything else is marked TBC.

  • 12 Jun 2027Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest 2027Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce: contest Sat 12 Jun 2027 (festival weekend 11-13 Jun). · sourceTeam entry

See it on the calendar →

03 · Skills you'll need

Skills you'll need

What to learn and practise before you go. Each resource is marked Official or Community-accepted and names its publisher. Difficulty and prep time are our estimate.

Core skill

Sand sculpting: packing wet sand into a dense block

Also useful:

  • Carving top-down and keeping the sand moist
  • Working to the rules: your plot only, sand and water only, beach-native decoration
Difficulty our estimateBeginner to Some practice
Prep time our estimate2–3 beach or sand-pit practice sessions

Difficulty and prep time are Curiosta editorial estimates for a first-timer, not organiser figures.

Refresher

  1. One plot per entry; sand may not be added to or taken out of your plot.
  2. Only water may be added: no paint, flour, sugar, starch, cement or glue.
  3. Decorate only with things native to the beach, such as seaweed, driftwood and shells.
  4. Pack wet sand well before you carve, and carve from the top down.
  5. Keep your tools inside your plot, and clear them away to show judges you've finished.
  6. Leave the sculpture for the tide; remove everything else.

Practise before you go

  • Practise packing and carving on any beach or in a sand pit with a bucket and simple kitchen tools.
  • Read the organiser's how-to page and watch its live-demonstration link before the day.
  • Time a practice build to match the contest's build window.

Safety notes

  • Sun, wind and cold on an open Pacific beach: dress for coastal weather.
  • Watch the tide.
  • Fill holes and clear your plot.

Resources

Officialofficial rules

Rules of the Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest

Plot, materials, decoration and judging rules.

Publisher: Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce (organiser)

Officialofficial how-to

How to Build a Sandcastle

The organiser's sandcastle-building basics.

Publisher: Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce (organiser)

Officialofficial registration page

Register for the Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest

Divisions and when registration details are published.

Publisher: Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce (organiser)

See also the skills guide: Sculpting sand, snow & clay → · All skills guides

04 · Check before you go

What we could and couldn't confirm

Before you book

  • 2027 registration details are due in February 2027.
  • The Masters Division is by invitation; contact the organiser through the official page.
  • Costs are not listed on Nomad. Check them, and the latest dates, on the official site.
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