Sandcastle fanatics will descend onto Cannon Beach the third weekend in June for the coast’s annual sandcastle building competition.

The Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest gives people of all skill levels and ages the chance to be creative and invent all sorts of sand sculptures. In its 61 years, the contest has become a staple event for the North Coast.

“Thousands of people come to the beach for it,” said Jim Paino, Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce executive director.

The contest is grouped by seven divisions: Master builders, large groups, small groups, individuals, teen and junior groups. There is a “sand fleas” category for young kids.

Master builders bring highly-skilled, innovative creations to the contest. They make meticulously crafted sculptures using a bounty of buckets, hand tools and of course, sand.

“With the masters, we’re looking for them to build high-quality pieces with a story,” Paino said.

Designs in past years have yielded whimsical castle structures, Egyptian themed sculptures and all sorts of funky creatures that are several feet tall.

It’s a hobby that’s attracted many groups year after year. The Hey! Stackers!, Ozymandias and Team Mai Tai are the registered masters for 2025 so far, Paino said.

Bill Rose, a familiar face to the contest, will be holding a demonstration on June 20 to go over castle-building basics from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“He’ll build on Friday and talk about why you do what you do for a sand castle,” Paino said.

People can expect to see professional-level sand sculptures, but part of the contest’s appeal is that it’s open to amateurs and first-time builders, too. Paino said one his favorite parts of the gathering is the “sand fleas” competition and watching kids invent new ways to play with sand.

“I love seeing what they come up with,” he said.

The event goes all out for its younger contestants, and everybody in the sand flea division takes home a prize, Paino added.

The contest is accompanied by a bonfire to round out the evening and a 5K run. The bonfire is on the beach off Second Street, and Paino said, and a ukulele group will be this year’s entertainment.

“It’s a fun thing after the event is over to have a bonfire that night,” Paino said.

The Cannon Beach Bakery donated s’mores fixings, which guests can roast over charcoal fires. The bonfire runs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The “Singing Sands” fun run is on June 22. People can walk or walk, and it’s a simple out-and-back course from Tolovana Wayside lot that takes people along the beach.

The festival’s history on the coast goes back decades. In March 1964, a large earthquake hit southern Alaska, sending ripple effects down the United States’ west coastline. A tsunami hit Cannon Beach, knocking out the town bridge and leaving locals stranded. The Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce noted that the sandcastle contest was begun that August as a way for the town to heal following the natural disaster.

Since its inception, it’s grown substantially and brings in people from near and far to marvel at the builders’ inventions.

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Viewing the sandcastle contest is free and open to the public. Registration costs range from $5 to $32 depending on division. To sign up and view contest details and rules, visit https://www.cannonbeach.org/events-and-festivals/sandcastle-contest/registration/

Volunteers are always needed for the contest, too. Sign ups can be done on the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce website.