Welcome to the Dispersed
SAND SCULPTURE FESTIVAL
A physically-distanced version of the 27th Annual Sand Sculpture Festival will be taking place during the entire month of July! During the Dispersed Sand Sculpture Festival, teams are invited to create sandy masterpieces on local beaches, send photos of their sand sculptures to Friends of the Dunes, post creations on social media, vote for their favorites, and be entered to win exciting prizes. Plan to make a date with a sandy stretch of beach and get creative with your family and friends this July!
Learn how to join the competition below or
Vote for your favorite sculpture
2021 People's Choice, Best of Show, & Golden Shovel Award: Built by Team Maximum Wattage Representing Pure Water Spas.
How to Enter the Dispersed Competion
1. Pick your team members and a team name.
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2. Choose a day in July and a local Humboldt County Beach to build your masterpiece on. Make sure you check the tides for optimal sculpture building conditions. Review ocean safety with your group and surf conditions of the specific beach you are sculpting at.
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3. With "Sand Sculpture Festival" in the subject line, email an image of your sculpture to info@friendsofthedunes.org, along with the following information:
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Team name and team captain contact information.
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Sculpture title.
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Date of when the sculpture was made.
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Location of sculpture.
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Include the name of the business partner that your team is representing if applicable.
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Additional images of the sculpture, team members, and progress pictures. This is optional, but encouraged! Make sure images are in color, are not blurry, or too far away.
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4. Post your masterpiece on social media with the hashtags #SandSculptureFestival2022 #FriendsoftheDunes, and tag @friendsofthedunes. Please include the location of your sculpture.
For example: Humboldt Coastal Nature Center, north from the Wildberries Trail​
Posting to social media is optional, but it helps us to share with others.
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*Humboldt County only.
Prizes
Every team that participates has a chance to win some of the following prizes:​​
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People's Choice: A cash prize for the sculpture with the most votes from you! Vote here.
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Golden Shovel: Only available to teams representing a business partner​.
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Teams can also win bragging rights and a free Friends of the Dunes membership when competing for the title of:
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Best of Show
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Best Youth Sculpture
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Most Dedicated Diggers
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Most Photogenic
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Most Imaginative
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Staff Pick
Sculpt Responsibly
Western Snowy Plover nests blend in with the sand, and are difficult to spot. Do your part to aid in their recovery by avoiding the areas in which they are known to nest. Click the image to learn more.
Western Snowy Plover nest. Image courtesy of California State Parks.
We all love the beach, and it is up to us to keep it clean and healthy! Here are some ways you can help:
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Enjoy wildlife at a distance. Avoid areas that have special wildlife concerns, such as endangered Western Snowy Plover habitat. Humboldt County beaches to avoid include Stone Lagoon, Big Lagoon, and South Spit. For more information regarding Western Snowy Plovers, click here.
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Plan ahead and prepare. Know and follow the regulations and special concerns of the beach that you plan to visit.
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Leave the beach cleaner than you found it. Bring a bag to pack out trash.
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Control pets at all times, or leave them at home.
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Review the tides, and never turn your back on the ocean.
View Past Sand Sculpture Winners
View Sand Sculptures from the 2019, 2020, and 2021 festivals.
Click here for a full archive of our past sculptures.
Thank you 2022 Sponsors
