The Sand Sculptors Are Coming Back: the 36th American Sand Sculpting Championship Runs November 19–23
Five days of championship sand art return to Fort Myers Beach at DiamondHead Beach Resort, with advance discount tickets on sale, free entry on opening day and 20 plots open for amateurs.
Fort Myers Beach's biggest canvas is sand. The 36th Annual American Sand Sculpting Championship returns November 19–23, 2026, turning the beach at DiamondHead Beach Resort into five days of large-scale sand artistry, according to the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce's event page.
The practical details are set. The event runs daily, with on-site ticket sales ending at 4:30 p.m., gates closing at 4:45 p.m. and the grounds closing at 5 p.m.; children aged three and under are admitted free, and advance discount tickets are on sale through the event's official site. Listings for the championship put entry as free on the opening day, Thursday, November 19, with tickets needed for the remaining days.
It is not a spectators-only week. Twenty plots are available for this year's amateur contest, giving local carvers a place alongside the championship field — one of the island's signature late-November draws, landing the week before Thanksgiving as Fort Myers Beach's season calendar fills in.
