Fifteen trucks dumped 300 tons of special sand Monday in preparation for an art competition along San Diego's waterfront unlike any other.
The 8th Annual U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge and Dimensional Art Exposition goes down this Labor Day weekend at the Broadway Pier and Pavilion in downtown San Diego.
The competition brings professional sand sculpture artists from all over the world to the waterfront to showcase their talents with the unique medium. Some of those artists in the World Masters Class category will carve for four days starting Wednesday, finishing their masterpieces by Sunday.
The sand sculptures will be on display throughout the weekend for public viewing, taking up nearly 1,000 feet on the pier. Event planners joke the sculptures aren't for sale. In fact, one sculpture alone can weigh over 10 tons.
Take a look at past sand sculptures in the gallery below.
[G] 2015 U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge
The festival can make a fun day for the whole family with live music, beer tents, food trucks and a giant sandbox where professional artists will hold sandcastle building classes.
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Away from the sand, attendees can browse through the Dimensional Art Exposition, offering more than 1,000 hand-crafted metalwork, ceramics, paintings and more. Check out some of the featured artists here.
The U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge opens at 10 a.m. each day. The event ends at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and then 7 p.m. on Labor Day.
Early Saturday, visitors can watch the World Masters in their final hours of sculpting before judging.
Daily admission costs $10 for children up to age 12, $15 for adults and $13 for seniors. Active duty military, SDPD, SDFD and other first responders receive free admission with valid identification.
Event planners say they will donate 50% of net proceeds to educational non-profits like The San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts.
For more details, visit the event website.
