Holidays

Sand Snowmen to Adorably Assemble at Hermosa Beach

The cute competition is a tradition, but be sure to show with your own buckets and shovels.

Robin Kerr

What to Know

  • Saturday, Dec. 3; presented by the City of Hermosa Beach Community Resources
  • Participants are invited to show at 15th and Shoreline with their own buckets, shovels, and decorations
  • "Most Unique" and "Most Traditional" are two of the categories

If a group of snowmen is called a "melt," how might we refer to a collection of snowmen made of beach sand?

A "grit," perhaps, or a "coast," or something else that signifies the magical combination of ocean water, damp sand, and oodles of bright imagination.

And imagination is the offbeat order of the day when it comes to building a fanciful being that possesses the qualities of summer fun and wintry cool. Traditional sand sculptures are synonymous with warmer days, of course, while snowpeople?

They most definitely hail from the colder side of the calendar.

This unlikely but merry meeting of opposite seasons will happen in Hermosa Beach on Saturday, Dec. 2 when the Sand Snowman Contest, presented by the City of Hermosa Beach Community Resources, returns to deliver a bounty of cheer.

Cheer, and some competition, too: There are a few categories to consider entering, including "Funniest" and "Best Dressed."

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Participants are invited to show their own buckets and shovels as well as those items they'd like to incorporate.

Seeking more seasonal happenings that take place close to the surf? The Golden State is known for its tide-close yuletide events, from bright boat parades to shore-close holiday lights.

And if you're seeking the quirkier side of Christmas fun, like the charming chance to build snow sandmen, there are a number of festive choices each year.

The Hermosa Beach sand snowman competition on Dec. 3 is one cheerful choice, as are others up the coast, including a Santa Paddle at Ventura Harbor on Dec. 10 and the arrival of Santa, by watercraft, at Nick's Cove & Cottages near Tomales Bay on Dec. 4.

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