CHILLICOTHE — Downtown Chillicothe will get its annual beach makeover next weekend, as Sand in the Streets returns Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 22-23, for a sixth year of sand volleyball on Paint Street.
Organizers plan to unload roughly 400 tons of sand into the heart of downtown for the tournament, according to the tournament’s official website. This year’s presenting sponsors are Herrnstein Kia and Adena Health Orthopedic and Spine Institute. Michelob Ultra is the tournament’s official beer, Surfside its official cocktail and White Claw its official seltzer.
This year marks a format change: for the first time, the tournament will stretch across two full days, with pool play Saturday and tournament play Sunday. Recreational pool play runs 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, followed by open and competitive pool play from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday opens with recreational tournament play from 8 to 10 a.m., followed by championship finals from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The lineup includes 16 semi-professional teams, 16 competitive teams and 48 recreational teams — 80 teams in all — competing across four sand courts, according to the tournament’s official website. The tournament is free for spectators to attend, and proceeds are reinvested into downtown Chillicothe, organizers said.
Battle on the Beach follows Saturday’s play
When Saturday’s volleyball wraps up, local high school volleyball programs square off in Battle on the Beach, now in its third year. The twist: it’s not the students competing but their coaches, friends and family members. The winning school’s volleyball program takes home $1,000. Southeastern won the inaugural title in 2024, and Adena took it in 2025, according to Main Street Chillicothe. Battle on the Beach runs 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday on North Paint Street, followed by live music from Basement Collective until 9:30 p.m.
BeachFest Kickoff Party opens the weekend Friday
The weekend begins Friday, Aug. 21, with the BeachFest Kickoff Party, a family-friendly beach party on North Paint Street from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., featuring sand toys for kids and live music from Monsters of Yacht, a Nashville, Tennessee-based band performing ’70s and ’80s yacht-rock covers. BeachFest is free for the entire family, made possible by Herrnstein Family Foundation, Spaulding Chiropractic, and Kenworth Truck Company.
Trolley service adjusted for the weekend
Chillicothe’s free downtown trolley will start an hour early on Friday, Aug. 21, to accommodate Sand in the Streets crowds, according to the City of Chillicothe’s website. The trolley will also skip its regular stop at Fifty West for the weekend.
A tournament that’s grown quickly
Sand in the Streets began in 2021 as a single-day co-ed tournament and has expanded steadily since. Last year’s event (Year 5) featured 8 semi-professional teams, 8 competitive teams and 32 recreational teams — roughly half this year’s total field, according to the visitors bureau’s archived listing.
Team registration fees and spectator admission costs had not been posted on the event’s official pages as of this writing.
If You Go
What: Sand in the Streets volleyball tournament (Year 6)
When:
Saturday, Aug. 22 — Recreational pool play, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.; Open & competitive pool play, 2-6 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 23 — Recreational tournament play, 8-10 a.m.; Championship finals, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Where: Downtown Chillicothe (Paint Street)
Cost: Free for spectators
Presenting sponsors: Herrnstein Kia, Adena Health Orthopedic and Spine Institute
More info: sandinthestreets.com