Creative ideas, enthusiastic competitors and another large crowd made the 53rd annual Pentwater Sand Sculpture Contest a highlight of Pentwater’s 2026 Homecoming weekend.
Sponsored by the Pentwater Service Club (PSC), the longtime community tradition brought children, families and teams to the sugar-sand beach of Charles Mears State Park, where competitors transformed little more than sand and water into everything from castles and mermaids to aquariums, miniature golf courses and imaginative tributes to Pentwater.
“It’s been more than a half-century since the Pentwater Service Club began sponsoring this popular Homecoming weekend event,” said Glenn Beavis, who managed the competition for the club. “What makes it especially rewarding is seeing new generations of families participating in a tradition that has become such an important part of Pentwater’s Homecoming.”
The contest dates back to 1973, meaning some of the children competing today have grandparents who were their age when the first sculptures were created on the Charles Mears State Park beach.
Four age divisions and three family/group categories made up this year’s competition. First-place winners were Liske, 1–7 year olds, for Water of Pentwater; The Mlinarich, 8–9 year olds, for The Memory Maker; Madison Rediske, 10–12 year olds, for Pentwater Putt Putt Course; Slotsemal Kids, 13 and older, for A Reel Good Time; Strand Family, Group/Family A, for Pig Dinner; Cozy Corner, Group/Family B, for Pentwater Rocks; and Grains of Grit, Group/Family C, for King of Pentwater.
Competitors arrived with everything from buckets and shovels to concrete trowels, spray bottles, carts and wheelbarrows. But imagination remained the most important tool of the day.
“The Sand Sculpture Contest represents exactly the kind of community tradition the Pentwater Service Club is proud to support,” said PSC President Rob Cunningham. “For more than 50 years, it has brought generations of families together for a day of creativity and fun. Seeing the children, parents and grandparents working together — and seeing so many residents and visitors enjoying what they create — is what makes this event so special.”
Every participant was recognized with either a trophy or participation ribbon, continuing the PSC’s tradition of making the contest as much about participation and fun as competition.
The Pentwater Sand Sculpture Contest is one of numerous events held during the community’s annual Homecoming celebration and has become one of the weekend’s longest-running traditions.
