Imperial Beach’s Sun & Sea Festival

A Gigantic Monument Castle, Street Fair, Kids-n-Kastles Competition and Live Entertainment

One of San Diego County’s most beloved traditions and the largest local festival held annually on the sand at Portwood Pier Plaza is back this year – with a few changes. The most notable will be the gigantic “Sandcastle City”-style monument castle without the typical sandcastle competition, though there will be a Kids-n-Kastles competition, according to co-chair Shirley Nakawatase. “We all loved the master’s competition, but since the pandemic, it’s been a challenge getting business sponsorships and new volunteers to help produce this large-scale event,” she said.

This year’s Kids-n-Kastles competition will feature 15 teams and is sponsored by the Imperial Beach/South Bay Kiwanis. This year’s Sandcastle Ball is free and open to the public at Mike Hess Brewing Company on Seacoast Boulevard. Donations are requested for Rad Swag Bags (supplies are limited).

Event Co-Chair Sandi Crosby is part of the new wave of younger volunteer members. “Bringing new energy onto the committee is exciting,” said Crosby. “I am looking forward to seeing the type of impact that they will make.”

FRIDAY, August 16

• The Sandcastle Ball will be held from 6 pm to midnight at Mike Hess Brewing 805 Ocean Ln, Imperial Beach. Free admission, all ages welcome. Donations are appreciated.

SATURDAY, August 17

• The “Mega” Castle will be crafted from 80 cubic yards of sand. Watch our progress at Pier Plaza from Thursday through Saturday. The best viewing days will be Friday and Saturday.
• Music and Entertainment: Pier Plaza Stage – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Performers TBD
• Kids-n-Kastles Competition: 9 a.m. arrival. Fifteen teams compete from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on the sand just north of the Pier. Those interested can sign up at www.sunandseafestival.com.

The City of Imperial Beach is famous for sandcastles, starting with the U.S. Open Sandcastle competition held on July 25, 1981. The annual competition lasted for 31 years and ended in 2011. In 2012, The San Diego Port District produced IB Kids Fest at Pier Plaza in June. This reignited the tradition of the original Imperial Beach celebration with a new Sun & Sea Festival in 2013 featuring a professional sand sculpture display and the children’s Kids ‘N Kastles competition. The festival format, adopted by a large group of local volunteers, stayed the same until the 2020 pandemic. In 2021, organizers, in partnership with the City of Imperial Beach and the San Diego Port District, were able to continue the town’s love of sandcastles without the street festival. The event, billed as Sandcastle City, presented the largest sandcastle ever built on Imperial Beach’s Pier Plaza along with several smaller sand sculpture displays at local businesses for several weeks. The ninth annual Sun & Sea Festival held in July 2022 returned to the original festival format with a smaller sandcastle competition and a scaled-back street festival. The event took a one-year hiatus in 2023.

2024 Sun & Sea Festival Seeks Sponsors

The festival committee is seeking sponsorship funding from regional and local businesses to uphold our tradition of hosting a free public event. “Imperial Beach is the home of the original sandcastle competition, and it is part of our culture,” said Mariko Nakawatase, sponsorship chair. We are deeply grateful to our longtime sponsors, many of whom continue to support us in 2024. Those who have signed up to date are: The Port of San Diego, the City of Imperial Beach, and EDCO. “We are thrilled to include local businesses who we are looking forward to working with, they are Imperial Beach Community Clinic, Dwayne Snyder Stucco , WyYerd Fiber, Ashley Ortega- Mortgage Lender, Raising Cane’s, Southbay Urgent Care, and Pacific Realty Sales and Management. “We are always thankful for the support and look forward to collaborating with any business interested in joining us,” adds Nakawatase. If you would like to participate as a sponsor, please contact Mariko Nakawatase at [email protected].