For several years, we have been hearing about Texas Sandfest in Port Aransas. I have always known that it is a sand sculpture competition on the beach. But I never knew what it all entails.

This past weekend was the latest edition of Texas Sandfest. We decided that it was time to go. So we set off in our camper van on the Thursday. Boy, were we surprised with what we found…

A little about Texas Sandfest

Texas Sandfest started in 1997 as a smaller event. However, due to its popularity, it quickly grew into a three-day event.

From the start, its main goal was to be a fundraising event. Today it is a non-profit organization that supports a number of other non-profit groups in the Port Aransas community.

Sandfest usually takes place in April each year, with the exact dates varying according to tide charts. It takes place on the beach between Sandcastle Drive and Beach Access Road 1A.

Our visit to Texas Sandfest

Sandfest begins on a Friday, so we arrived at our campground on Thursday late afternoon and set up camp. It felt good to be back in Port A after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey two years earlier.

Sandfest is enclosed and we paid $15 each for a 3-day pass. Friday was a good day to go because it wasn’t near as busy as Saturday or Sunday.

Most artists only start their sculptures on Friday, so you don’t see too many big sculptures on Friday. But it also means that you get to see how artists start out with building a sculpture.

Saturday and Sunday are the days when a lot of sculpture-building takes place. But there are also a lot more people.

Getting to Sandfest?

The City of Port Aransas prepares huge parking areas on the beach on the north-side and south-side of the venue for parking.

To help with getting people to the venue, there are shuttles (golf carts) that operate from Sandcastle Drive and Beach Access Rd 1A. They drop people off at the north and south entrances to the venue.

The shuttles worked well on Friday, but we had to wait in line on Saturday and Sunday. This is not a big problem because it’s only a 10-minute walk from the shuttle stations to the venue.

What’s at Sandfest?

The most obvious activity you’ll find at Texas Sandfest is sand sculpture building. Some artists begin their work on Friday. But by Saturday the creative juices are flowing and all teams have begun their work.

It is very interesting to watch the artists at work. I was amazed at what these people are able to achieve with only sand, water, and some tools. The artistry was incredible!

There are many vendors at Texas Sandfest. Food vendors sell on-the-go types of food, like corndogs, mac & cheese sandwiches, funnel cakes, ice cream, and more. Other vendors sell jewelry, clothes, wood carvings, bags, and more. There is also a music tent where you can sit, enjoy some shade, and listen to live bands.

We went all three days and spent at least 2 hours each day, wandering from sculptures to vendors and back to sculptures.

The Sculptures

Here are some of the magnificent sculptures that we saw at Texas Sandfest:

Tips for going to Texas Sandfest

Here are some tips for an enjoyable experience:

• Take money. There’s an entrance fee and the vendors will cost you a few dollars. If you run out of cash, there are ATMs available.
• Take a hat and be sure to put on sunscreen. When you’re in a nice environment like Sandfest, it’s easy to forget about the sun. I saw several bright pink bodies strolling around!
• If you have a people-friendly and animal-friendly dog, you can take it along as long as it is on a leash the entire time. Remember to clean up behind your dog, and have water available for drinking.
• You can take your own cooler with drinks and snacks.

Overall, we had a fantastic weekend in Port Aransas at Texas Sandfest. As a result, we are planning on going again next year.

PS. Kudos to the Port Aransas community for the amazing job they have done so far with rebuilding their town after the destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey!

Have you been to Sandfest? Tell us about it in the comments below…