Sand Fest Delivered by Independence Excavating
Every summer, AIA Cleveland goes to the beach to raise funds for the ACE Mentor Program!
Our chapter’s signature event combines volleyball and sand castle construction to present a unique opportunity for Cleveland architects and designers to engage with the public on one of Cleveland’s premier beaches (Edgewater Beach just west of Downtown Cleveland).
Last year, in our 6th annual event, we raised $10,000 dollars for the ACE Mentorship Program Scholarship Fund. Thanks to Independence Excavating and through the assistance of Turner Construction and the Cleveland Metroparks we were able to raise the largest donation in SandFest history! Winners included Vocon (Best of the Beach and Runner-Up); GPD Group(Best Overall); Perspectus (Volleyball Runner-Up) and Vocon (Volleyball Winner).
Join us for a day of friendly competition for a great cause as all proceeds support the ACE Mentor Program’s scholarship fund. Event sponsorships are available at multiple levels and include team registration benefits (see below). Check out the full competition rules for both the sand castle and volleyball competitions by downloading the PDFs below.
The ACE Mentor Program is an after-school mentorship initiative that teams fourteen CMSD student teams with architecture, construction, and engineering professionals to respond to a Cleveland-based RFP and encourage consideration of careers in design & construction. All proceeds raised go to the ACE Mentor Program scholarship fund. To learn more about ACE, please select the image below:
Please consider donating directly to ACE at: https://www.acementor.org/donate/
EVENT DETAILS
Please see below for competition rules, registration & waiver forms, team payment, and sponsorship details.
REGISTRATION:
Early Registration - TBD
$450 | Sand Castle Team
$350 | Volleyball Team
$50 | Individual Player*
Standard Registration - TBD
$500 | Sand Castle Team
$400 | Volleyball Team
$75 | Individual Player*
* Individual Registrants will be Assigned a Team by Event Organizers
SPONSOR:
$5000 | Presenting Sponsor
$3000 | Signature Sponsor
$2000 | Lake Erie Partner
$1000 | Golden Shovel Sponsor
DATE:
August 3rd, 2024
LOCATION:
Edgewater Beach
6500 Cleveland Memorial Shoreway
Cleveland, OH 44102
This year's theme is TBD!
SCHEDULE:
8:00 AM | Sand Castle Begins
9:00 AM | Volleyball Tournament Begins
1:00 PM | Public Voting Begins
3:00 PM | Parade of Castles, Celebrity Jury
4:00 PM | Championship Volleyball Matches, Awards
2023 EVENT SPONSORS
2023 WINNERS
SANDCASTLE WINNER: GPD GROUP | Under the CLE
SANDCASTLE RUNNER UP: VOCON | SEAcrets of the Unexplored
BEST OF THE BEACH (FAN VOTE): VOCON | SEAcrets of the Unexplored
VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONS: VOCON
VOLLEYBALL RUNNER UP: PERSPECTUS
2023 GALLERY
2022 WINNERS
SANDCASTLE WINNER: AECOM
BEST SCULPTURE WINNER: VOCON
BEST THEME WINNER: RDL ARCHITECTS
BEST OF THE BEACH (FAN VOTE): GPD GROUP
VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONS: THE UNDERCOOKED CORNDOGS
VOLLEYBALL RUNNER UP: VOCON
2022 GALLERY
2019 MEDIA COVERAGE
WKYC Cleveland | Cleveland Sand Festival
News 5 Cleveland | Local Design Firms go Head to Head at Sandfest
Cleveland Scene | Sandcastle Contest
2019 WINNERS
SCULPTURE CATEGORY WINNER: ACE BUILDS | Sandfest End Game
CASTLE CATEGORY WINNER: VOCON | Game of Thrones
THEME CATEGORY WINNER: AECOM | Nautical Nonsense on the Cuyahoga
BEST OF THE BEACH WINNER: ARCHITECTURAL VISION GROUP LTD. | Long Live Rock
VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONS (UPPER): UNDERCOOKED CORNDOGS
CORNHOLE CHAMPIONS: David Reschke and James Reschke
2018 MEDIA COVERAGE
Adam Yaracs - Live Feed
Janelle Heinle - Live Feed
Shannon Forry - Live Feed
Allan Renzi - Live Feed
Wayne Mortensen and Patty Lampert - Live Feed
2018 WINNERS
SCULPTURE CATEGORY WINNER: AECOM | Harry Potter Themed Castle
CASTLE CATEGORY WINNER: BIALOSKY CLEVELAND | Half Pyramid Castle
CLEVELAND SPIRIT CATEGORY WINNER: CLEVELAND METROPARKS | Historic Coast Guard Station
BEST OF THE BEACH WINNER: THE AUSTIN COMPANY
VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONS (UPPER): UNDERCOOKED CORNDOGS
VOLLEYBALL RUNNER-UP (UPPER): DEALER TIRE
VOLLEYBALL CHAMPION (LOWER): TURNER CONSTRUCTION
2019 GALLERY
AIA CLEVELAND PHOTOS
ADRIAN LEWIS PHOTOGRAPHY
PROPERTIES MAGAZINE PHOTOGRAPHY
2018 GALLERY
2017 GALLERY
SAND FESTIVAL PREPARATIONS
See the competition rules and proper sandcastle building techniques below:
How-To’s:
1. Start on a Hard Pack, no soft sand foundations.
2. Water + Sand = True Sand Castle Love
3. Masonry Tools are Extremely Helpful, So are Large Clay Carving Tools
4. Video Tutorial: Sandcastle from Start to Finish
5. Video Tutorial: How to Make an Arch
Considerations:
1. Food/Drink: Water will be Available; as will Concessions and Food Trucks
2. Coolers: Encouraged, but No Glass on the Beach (or Alcohol outside the beer tent)
3. Sunburns: Shade Tents and Sunscreen!
4. Radios: Set Your own Mood