Sandcastle competition to return to Corona del Mar State Beach after COVID-19 hiatus

After a year-long hiatus, Newport Beach’s 59th annual sandcastle competition is returning to the shores of Corona del Mar this September, according to an announcement made Friday.

The competition will be held on Sunday, Sept. 26 and begin at 10 a.m. that day at Corona del Mar State Beach.

This year’s theme is “Explore the World.” Last year’s event was canceled, but the theme in 2019 was “Fantastic Sea Creatures.”

“We did cancel [the competition] last year because of COVID-19,” said Steven Rosansky, the president and chief executive officer of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce whose Commodores Club organizes the event. “The city wasn’t issuing any special event permits at the time. It was probably the first year in probably 58 years that we hadn’t done it.”

Organizers are now accepting applications for teams — anyone from children to professional architects — to compete on Sept. 26 through the chamber’s website at newportbeach.com/events/59th-annual-sandcastle-contest or by calling (949) 729-4400. Rosansky said Friday they’ve already started to see a few teams sign up.

About 25 teams compete annually, but sizes of teams can vary. Only eight people are allowed on their plot at a time, though Rosansky joked they don’t usually police that.

Entry fees depend on the category. They start at $30 for families and the general public and range up to $60 for architecture firms.

In addition to the competition, members of the public will be able to view the castles for free and organizers said there will be other activities on the beach that day including the “Bubble Lady,” food and sponsor competitions for families.

“We’ve got teams that have been competing for years and some newcomers as well,” said Rosansky. “It’s one of the longest running sandcastle contests on the West Coast. It’s a multi-generational event and everybody’s guaranteed to have a great time.”

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