Galveston sandcastle competition faces uncertain future, Park Board sites rising costs
Galveston sandcastle competition discontinued
The sandcastle competition, an annual event that brings in thousands to Galveston Beach each year is no more. The non profit group that organized it claims the Galveston Park Board is suddenly making them pay thousands in fees to host it there. FOX 26's Sherman Desselle has more on the explanation.
GALVESTON, Texas - An annual tradition that has drawn thousands of visitors to Galveston Beach for nearly four decades is facing an uncertain future.
The nonprofit organization behind the Sandcastle Competition says that the Galveston Park Board is suddenly demanding thousands of dollars in fees for hosting the competition.
The Sandcastle Competition, organized by the American Institute of Architects in Houston (AIA), has not only been a source of joy for locals and tourists but also a means to raise funds for philanthropic efforts, particularly aimed at educating children about the architectural profession.
The Galveston Park Board cites escalating costs associated with hosting events as the primary reason behind the introduction of a fee structure. According to Park Board leaders, expenses related to multiple items like staff, security, and maintenance for the Sandcastle Competition in the previous year amounted to $30,000. In response to mounting costs for events, the board introduced a consolidated fee schedule, which includes rental and operational charges that could be phased in over a three-year period.
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The demand for fees two weeks before the scheduled August event took the AIA by surprise, as the organization says they had never been required to pay for hosting the competition. Rusty Bienvenue, the Executive Director of AIA, expressed his initial shock and stated, "He says I have a contract I need you to sign. And we need to talk about the money that you're going to pay us. And I was like, well, we've never paid anything."
Last year's event brought in nearly 4,000 cars, generating approximately $60,000 in revenue for East Beach. Park Board General Manager, Vince Lorefice, emphasized the event's importance for the community and their commitment to continue hosting it. To cover part of their expenses and avoid undue financial responsibility, the board is requesting the AIA to contribute 11 percent of their expenses as a cost recovery measure.
The AIA now faces a difficult decision about the future of the Sandcastle Competition. While the Park Board has suggested hosting the event twice a year to alleviate costs, the AIA remains cautious. Rusty Bienvenue expressed the organization's dilemma, stating, "Do I want to be the guy that killed this 37-year-old program, no. But I also don't want to be the guy that makes us bankrupt because we continue to do something that's not economically feasible."
The Galveston Park Board has introduced rebate incentives in their new fee policies, offering some relief to event organizers. However, as for the Sandcastle Competition's prospects in 2024, the AIA remains uncertain and anticipates an approximate 8 percent budget shortfall.
Full statement from the Galveston Park Board:
After 37 years, the Houston chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has chosen to forego its sandcastle competition in Galveston. The event has served as a fundraiser for the non-profit group. Traditionally, the event has taken place at Galveston’s East Beach drawing thousands to watch and participate. AIA earns money from the event through sponsorships and team registration fees it assesses for the nearly 50 teams that participate. In the 37-year history of the event, the park board has not charged the AIA a rental fee for the beach park. Staging an event of this magnitude requires a significant investment on the park board’s part. The Coastal Zone Management crew prepares each site for sandcastle building and extra security is needed to control traffic flow and protect the sculptures. Additional park board staff is pulled in for the weekend to handle customer service, facilities maintenance, parking and trash pick-up. When the weather and tides cooperate, the Park Board earns beach parking revenues from the event. Last year, Park Board costs totaled $30,000. "With inflation, there’s been a 50% increase in costs on the park board side since 2020," General Manager of Parks Vince Lorefice said. Recently, the park board approved a consolidated event fee schedule for all beach park events. The schedule defines a reasonable contribution to help offset expenses for events. The schedule is phased over several years to ensure event planners have time to adjust their budgets. "Because of the long-standing relationship between the Park Board and the AIA, we’ve had regular discussions about the best way to continue hosting this event," Lorefice said. "They asked that the event to be moved to April instead of August and the park board was willing to make the change." Despite the discussions and willingness of the Park Board to continue negotiations, the AIA board ultimately decided to suspend the event. "We’re disappointed to learn about the AIA’s decision to ‘sunset’ this event indirectly through social media and thirdhand email," Park Board Chairman Jason Hardcastle said. "We believe the request for a significantly discounted fee to offset increased operational costs for such a large event is more than reasonable. In fact, the Park Board offered to offset the cost of the fees through a visitation incentive program, but the AIA declined. Our offer remains on the table, and perhaps the AIA will reconsider."