Texada Sandcastle Weekend is back for its 29th year, bringing two days packed with family fun in the sand and sun this July 6 and 7.
Festivities kick off on Saturday with the parade at 11 am. The procession starts 500 metres past Gillies Bay Store and ends at the RCMP station. Bike and stroller decorating will begin at 10 am, and participants under 12 will receive a gift certificate for Shelter Point Concession.
Over at the RCMP station will be fun activities for young ones like chalk drawing and a bouncy castle. New this year is the Ride, Stride and Slide miniature triathlon, where children ages three to five run to their bike or tricycle, ride a short distance, and then slide down a slip and slide to the finish.
Down at the ball park, a slow pitch tournament and a beer garden will provide entertainment for all. A variety of food and art vendors will also supply original wares and tasty treats throughout the weekend.
Returning once again are the infamous bed races at the Gillies Bay tennis courts, where competitors ride wheeled beds and gurneys to see who has the fastest mattress. Registration is $5 for both the adult and junior categories.
Topping off the night is the lip syncing contest at Shelter Point Regional Park, complete with outrageous costumes and dance moves. Afterwards, a laser light show and moon bag lanterns will light up the night sky. Live music fills the gap between when the lip sync competition ends and when the lanterns are released after dark.
Sunday, the sand sculpture competition for which the festival is named will be going on all day on the beach, with people’s choice judging from 11:30 am to 1 pm. Event-goers can admire the pirate ships and sea snakes and vote for their favourite.
Vancouver’s Spanish Flyers Skim Club will return once again to give shore-side lessons all weekend. Demo boards will also be available for the curious to try.
In an effort to make the event environmentally friendly, Lafarge-Texada Quarrying will have a collection point at the fire hall for residents to drop off items such as old batteries, used antifreeze and empty aerosol canisters. The company will also be offering tours of the rock quarry all weekend, with pick up at the old school in Gillies Bay.
For more information, interested readers can visit texada.org or phone Elayne Boloten at 604.486.7457.
