Sandcastles, a staple summer favourite, were in healthy supply at the mouth of the Outlet River in Sandbanks Provincial Park last week. The Friends of Sandbanks hosted its annual Sandfest sand sculpture contest.

Blue skies, an easy breeze, lapping waves and, the crucial ingredient, damp sand, made for perfect conditions.

Organizer Daniel Patel pointed to the numbers of families and individuals hard at work, with shovels, masonry and gardening tools to make sure their sandy creations came out just right.

“We’ve got a Loch Ness Monster forming over here, sharks, a birthday cake, there’s both Incan and Egyptian Pyramids.It’s wonderful to see all this creativity on display.”

This year’s event did not feature a professional sand sculptor. In years past, Friends of Sandbanks invited the pros to show off their talents and provide instruction and tips to the various children and families taking part.

“The scheduling didn’t quite work out this year, but I know some of the families taking part today make this an annual visit and have learned quite a bit from previous experiences with those professional sand artists,” Mr. Patel noted.

Attending this year’s event was Sandfest founder Don Metcalfe, who recalled the first event about a quarter century ago. Branded as a competition, the title kept some folks away. The following year, Sandfest was born and the popularity has increased year after year.

“It’s so wonderful to see this tradition continue and the families and children having fun here on the beach,” he said. “Sandfest has really picked up steam over the years and there’s some of the best sand in the world at Sandbanks to make these wonderful creations.”

One of those regular participants was Cory Hageman and his family from Mississauga. Their Egyptian scene featuring the Great Sphinx of Giza and pyramids rising from the sand made one wonder if they were standing on the banks of the Outlet — or the Nile.

“We came to Sandfest just by chance three years ago and had so much fun with it,” said Mr. Hageman. “Now we come camping at Sandbanks this week every summer. We haven’t won yet but we keep trying.”

Persistence paid off for the Hageman crew as, after careful consideration by the judging committee, the family was awarded their first Sandy trophy for creating this year’s top Sandfest sculpture.