Sandcastle contest returns to Rehoboth Beach Sept. 9

The Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce will present the 39th Annual Sandcastle Contest Saturday, Sept. 9, on the beach in front of Funland between Delaware and Laurel avenues in Rehoboth Beach. Teams will express their artistic flair in the sand. Past creations include a breakfast meal, Funland rides, pyramids, dolphins, Olympic athletes and traditional sandcastles, of course.

The contest is open to adults and children. Sculptures may be started at any time on the day of competition, but must be completed for judging by 3 p.m. Participants may register their entry anytime between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Winners will be announced at approximately 4:30 p.m. Trophies will be awarded to the top 10 Judges’ Favorites in both the adult and 7-14 child divisions. Children ages 6 and under will all receive a memento. One Judges’ Favorite will be awarded in the Business category. Two People's Choice Awards will be given. The general public can vote on their favorite adult and child division creations by completing an event evaluation.

Participants will be divided into four divisions: Business, Adult (15 and older), Child 7-14 and Child 6 and under. There is no limit to the number of participants per team. Participants may not be on multiple teams. Piles of sand must be formed by manpower only. Mechanical assistance is not allowed. To be judged, creations must be built within event boundaries marked by feather flags. The sand sculptures must contain only objects natural to the beach, such as shells, stones or seaweed. Participants must stay away from the dunes and dune grass.

Sculptures may not be dampened or sprayed with any solutions other than water. In other words, no sticky stuff is allowed. Sculptures must be finished by 3 p.m.

Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult when registering for competition. The chamber encourages young participants to enter, and asks that parents provide minimal assistance to youth entries. Sculpture subject matter is left to the artists' imagination, however the chamber advises the avoidance of political or controversial themes.

Chamber members are encouraged to compete in the business category. Entries will be judged on structural engineering, use of materials, imagination, overall aesthetic appeal and representation of business. The winning business will receive a trophy, a free Beach Blast email and bragging rights for the entire year.

For beachgoers who would rather watch than create, local sand sculptor Darrell O'Connor will lead the building of a community sculpture. Participants can sign up  at the contest registration tent to lend a hand. Children are invited to create a sand art keepsake on the beach to commemorate their contest experience. Kids can create their sand art from 12 to 4 p.m., under the chamber tent on the beach at Delaware Avenue on contest day. There is no charge for this activity. Donations are welcome.

Beginning at 3 p.m., spectators are welcome to view the completed sand creations free of charge.

O'Connor will be giving free sculpting demonstrations and lessons on the beach from 5 to 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 8, at Rehoboth Avenue and the Boardwalk.

In the event of bad weather, contest setup and registration may be delayed up until 10:30 a.m. If bad weather continues, this event will be postponed until next year. If bad weather occurs during the contest, participants may continue at will or at the discretion of lifeguards. Judging may be cancelled at any time if warranted by weather conditions.

For more information, call 302-227-6446 or go to www.beach-fun.com.