SF’s 43rd Annual Sandcastle Classic Contest at Ocean Beach (2025)

Submitted by the Event Organizer

On Saturday, October 25, 2025 Leap Arts in Education will take over Ocean Beach to host the largest sandcastle contest in Northern California; featuring team competition, food trucks, and live music all day. The public is invited to join in the fun and experience the construction of dozens of jaw-dropping, supersized sand sculptures. 

Please note the 2025 date is October 25 (not October 18th as was previously listed)

Since 1983, Leap has hosted the iconic Sandcastle Classic, Northern California’s largest sandcastle competition, to raise funds for Bay Area arts education programs. This unique sandcastle competition, nonprofit fundraiser, and community event brings over 5,000 people to San Francisco’s Ocean Beach every year to design and construct creative sand sculptures on an impressive scale, with local students.

Bring a blanket, grab a bite from the food trucks on site, participate in the competition, and spend a FREE day in the sun, all to support essential arts education. 

Our 2025 theme is “Level Up!”. This year’s theme nods to video games old and new, whether at an arcade or on a console, computer, or phone. We encourage our teams to “Level Up” their creations to hit a new high score!

Where: The event will be held at Ocean Beach and Balboa, near the Cliff House, with plentiful, free public parking, rain or shine.
When: Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 11AM – 3:30PM

2025 marks the 43rd annual Sandcastle Classic, the biggest sandcastle competition in Northern California.

Teams typically comprised of architects, engineers, contractors, designers, corporations, and local elementary school students work together to build giant sand sculptures. The funds raised by teams and sponsors make it possible for Leap to continue to provide arts programs to Bay Area students.

• Thousands of people come out to Ocean Beach for Leap’s annual Sandcastle Classic, which is free to the public to attend.
• The event is covered by regional print and online media, and celebrity judges evaluate the final sand sculptures.
• More than 25 local schools and 500 donating companies and advertisers participate.
• The highest grossing team in the event’s history raised $60,000.
• This year, we’re accepting a maximum of 30 teams. Sign up early to reserve your spot!

2025 Event Schedule

General Day of Schedule
Wondering what beach day is going to look like? Here is the general beach day schedule for us at Ocean Beach at Balboa Street:

8:00 AM – 10:00 AM Teams arrive, Check-in and head to assigned beach site

10:00 AM – Teams may begin to prep their sites

10:00AM-10:30AM – Students arrive

11:00 AM – Sandcastle Building begins with live DJ onstage!

11:45 AM – Castle Introductions by student representatives from each team

1:30PM – Castle Introductions by student representatives from each team

2:30 PM – Sandcastle Building ends

3:00PM – Award Ceremony

3:30PM – Event Ends

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.