Some of your favorite moments during your upcoming getaway to Port Aransas will be the ones spent at shore’s edge, creating magical sandcastles with your favorite tiny travelers. The littlest ones, staring up at you with adoring eyes, watching you build a structure that looks absolutely perfect, the older ones coming up with creative ways to construct turrets and moats and all the little things that make sandcastles cool. And if you are looking for ideas that are even more creative and magical, be sure to visit during Texas SandFest in Port Aransas, taking place April 19 through 21st, before coming home every night to your own magical sanctuary, one of our luxurious and comfortable escapes at The Dunes.
The Largest Sand Sculpture Competition
Word of advice for travelers attending Texas SandFest in Port Aransas for the first time: Do not let yourself become discouraged about the structures you have created with your family in comparison to the sculptures you are going to enjoy during the festival. These are artists creating masterpieces with sand and water, and their depictions of Abe Lincoln sitting on his chair, sea turtles swimming through the sand, even their nearly life-sized castles take weeks to complete and years of training to construct. Instead, take these few days to savor live entertainment, delicious food, and the magic of sand sculptures that you will have to see to believe! Additionally, if you are in town starting on the 15th, their pre-festival activities include free sand sculpting lessons by professional sand sculptor and chainsaw sculptor, Andy Hancock, outside the North Gate. Guest relations and ticket tent opens for advanced wristband sales on Wednesday April 17, and on the 18th, they are featuring celebrity sand sculpting demos by Amazin’ Walter.
Opening Day
Anticipation adds excitement and energy to the ambiance on opening day, and as you step through the gates, that feeling will be infectious. Food trucks are generally not permitted in Port Aransas, but for SandFest, they will be lining up in the parking lot, as will vendors selling arts, crafts, and souvenirs that you never knew you needed until you held them in your hands. Temperatures will be in the 70s and the Texas sun will be bright, so be sure to slather on the sunscreen and bring your sunglasses as you meander happily through the sandy festival grounds. Opening day offers all sorts of exciting experiences, including the opening of lesson mountain and the beer and wine tents that will be open from 10 AM until 7 PM, a half hour after closing. Feeling ambitious? The amateur contest check in begins at 10 AM on this first day and if you missed the pre-festival sand sculpting lessons, the children’s lessons will begin at the same time. The Music Stage will offer musical performances by local musicians from 3 to 7, ending this first day of magic on a high note.
Day 2 Will Be Even Better Than Day 1
The fun continues on day two, with many of the events and activities looking pretty much the same, but with the addition of a kids’ activity tent that opens at 9AM (ages 3-12 with parent accompaniment) and the amateur, teen, guppy, and youth contests taking place. Even your tiny travelers can strut their stuff; the amateur contest winners will be announced on the Music State starting at 5:15 PM.
Day 3, More of the Same, But with Winners
Day three brings, of course, the announcement of the winners of this fun festival of sand, but there is also a raffle drawing held at 3PM, with one lucky winner’s ticket being the one that wins a golf cart. And although it may be hard to ship that home, we are sure if you are the lucky raffle winner, you won’t mind figuring it out! The final day of any festival often brings a mixed bag of emotions as guests and participants realize that the excitement is drawing to a close, but we can promise that every moment of every day will be the most fun! The only sad part will be the realization that you have to wait another year before you can enjoy this moment again, but hey, it gives you something to look forward to, right?
Coming Home to The Dunes
As the gates close at 7 or 7:30 each night of the festival, coming home to your sanctuary from The Dunes will give you something wonderful to look forward to every evening. Wash all the sand off in luxury baths, (It is always surprising how sand manages to get in places you never thought it could!) watch a little television, play board games with the children, and relax in comfort and peace until it is time to head back to the SandFest in Port Aransas the next day. Reserve your favorite Port Aransas condo rentals today!