It's Official, Ed Jarrett Holds the New Record for the World's Tallest Sandcastle

Ed Jarrett received confirmation from Guinness World Records Wednesday that he has broken his own record building the World’s Tallest Sandcastle at Winding Trails in Farmington.

That was expected, with the castle standing at 38 feet, .75 inches on May 20, based on a height survey conducted by F.A. Hesketh & Associates, Inc. of East Granby, but there was an unsuspected drop in height to 37 feet, 10 inches.

The castle weathered, well, the weather, withstanding inclement conditions including snow, rain, thunderstorms, tornado watches and extreme heat. In the end, it was a “bluebird who adopted the top of the castle’s spire as its new favorite perch” that knocked 2 inches off the height, based on reports in a press release from Laura Ward, public relations representative for Jarrett’s Castle.

“When we noticed that little bluebird scraping away at the top of the sandcastle and the local meteorologists began to project daily thunderstorms, we scrambled to compile and send our documentation to Guinness World Records so we could have the height certified before the castle became any shorter,” Canton resident Jarrett said in the press release.

This is the third time Jarrett, director of golf and operations at Farmington Woods in Avon, has broken the record for world’s tallest sandcastle, and his second bout breaking his own record. In 2007, he built a 31-foot-6-inch sandcastle in Maine and raised over $100,000 for charity during the process. He first broke the record in 2003, also in Maine, at 29 feet, three inches, breaking Finland's record.

“I cannot possibly express enough gratitude to the more than 1,500 volunteers who collectively contributed over 2,500 work hours to hand pack 1.6 million pounds of sand and water and make this dream a reality,” Jarrett said in the press release. “Farmington, Connecticut is now officially the home of the World’s Tallest Sandcastle.”

People can still visit the castle 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily for $10 per carload at Winding Trails, which is off of Route 4 in Farmington. Jarrett has carved designs like bicycles and shells into the side of the castle and children can search for them through the "Ed's Expedition" scavenger hunt. All money raised, including through the tee-shirt and soda sales, benefits Jarrett's five charities -- Gifts of Love in Avon, Special Olympics Connecticut, New Horizons in Unionville, Save Walton Pond in Farmington and UCONN Children’s Cancer Fund.

On Saturday, June 18, children are invited to visit the castle dressed as princesses or pirates for a Princess and Pirate Parade from 9 a.m. to noon. There will also be crafts, face painting, digging for buried treasure and more. 

Jarrett's Castle is not leaving out the adults and is hosting an adults only "Booty Bash from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on June 24, a costume party with live music, food, a cash bar and a treasure hunt for loot donated by local merchants. 

The castle project is sponsored by the following local businesses:  Dunning Sand & Gravel, which donated the sand; Rich Wright Productions, which is making a documentary about Jarrett's Castle; Sanford and Hawley, which supplied lumber, fencing and the entry gate; WardComm Public Relations and Sharon Mayock Graphic Design, which do marketing and public relations for the castle; Kostin Ruffkess; the Farmington Field Club; and Flaggstead Smokehouse BBQ Restaurant.

More information on the sandcastle is available at www.tallestsandcastle.com, as well as on Facebook and Twitter (@jarrettscastle).

Editor's Note: This article has been updated. The original version stated that the Princess and Pirate Parade is Saturday, when it is actually June 18. The Booty Bash for the adults is on June 24. This reporting error has been corrected.