Sand castles in the sand

A good ol’ fashioned sand-sculpting contest can really make it feel like summer, so head out to Coney Island on July 24 for Astella Development Corporation’s annual event.

Last year’s winning designs included Moses and the Ten Commandments, an octopus, bald eagle, and a Cheshire cat.

A professional sand sculptor will also be on hand to show up all the amateurs with, what else?, a sand castle.

If you don’t feel like getting your hands dirty, there’ll be plenty else to entertain you, including an eclectic mix of African dance, belly dancers, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey clowns, opera singers, Latin music, scenes from the Broadway show, “Imaginocean” and more converging on the Boardwalk. If anything, it might give you inspiration for a sand sculpture.

Sand Sculpting Contest and Unity Day on the Coney Island beach [between W. 10th and W. 12th streets, (718) 266-4653], July 24 from 11 am-5 pm. Free. For info, visit www.astelladevelopment.org.