This Alberta Festival has a Dino Race, Massive Sand Castle Competition and Cardboard Boat Race
Beachfest 2026: Prehistoric Shores | Aug 8 & 9, Devonshire Beach, Slave Lake
Don’t skip this summer read trip! This August, Devonshire Beach turns into a full-blown building site — shovels, sculpting tools, and a whole lot of sand-in-the-shorts ambition. The Lesser Slave Lake Beachfest, back for 2026 with a Prehistoric Shores theme, is throwing down a two-day beach party, and the crown jewel is the one that gets your hands dirty: the Sandcastle Competition.
You’re not going to want to skip this sand castle competition at Slave Lake
Gather a crew. Pick your category. Then spend the day turning a patch of Devonshire's famous white sand into something that makes the family two towels over quietly give up on theirs. Think turrets. Think tail spikes. Think a T-rex rising out of the beach like it owns the place — because this year, dinosaurs are absolutely on theme.
Here's what you need to know before you show up with dreams and a plastic pail:
Team-based, multiple categories so bring your people, or make some new ones on the sand.
Register early to lock in the discounted entry fee. Wait too long and you pay more for the privilege. Early birds win before they've moved a single grain.
Read the Sandcastle Rules & Guidelines first (there's an official PDF and a registration form) so your masterpiece doesn't get sculpted straight into a disqualification.
You can come to watch and see the magic being built too
The rest of the weekend is packed with Family Fun
There's a Dino Race where grown adults sprint down the beach in inflatable dinosaur costumes (free, register day-of, a few suits provided or bring your own). Plus a Tug of War and a Cardboard Boat Race - both free to enter -and a Shop Local Beach Fest Week running Aug 1–9 if you want the deals before the sand.
Summer Beach Fest Runs Aug 8 through Sun, Aug 9
Doors on the day open early — 8:30 a.m. Saturday, wrapping up around 2:30 p.m. Sunday. It's a road trip from the city, so make a weekend of it; Slave Lake has camping and rooms if you plan ahead.
The tide won't wait, and neither will the early-bird pricing. Round up your team, claim your patch of Devonshire, and go build something worth bragging about.
Where to crash for the weekend
Devonshire Beach is a drive from the city, so make a weekend of it — and book early, because Beachfest weekend fills up fast. Families do well at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites (indoor pool, free hot breakfast — the pool alone buys you a quiet evening) or the Slave Lake Inn & Conference Centre, with the on-site restaurant, free breakfast, and a grassy area for the kids to play. Want more room to spread out? Old Town Cabins sits right on the river, minutes from the beach, and is a local favourite for bigger families.
Start Planning to visit Beachfest at Slave Lake
