Canstruction at CCU: Team Rules

Registration and design

  • Register your team by December 15, 2026.

  • Each team will design and build one food sculpture.

  • Submit a sketch or description of your sculpture and its estimated dimensions by February 1, 2027.

  • A Valentine’s Day theme is encouraged but not required.

Sculpture size and food

  • Each sculpture must fit within a base measuring 56 inches by 34 inches.

  • Teams should plan to use approximately 500–800 cans or other food items.

  • Food will be provided for teams to use. Teams are encouraged to incorporate available items into their designs.

  • Structures may include canned, boxed, and bagged food. Props may be used to enhance the design.

  • All food must be unopened, within its expiration date, and suitable for donation to Shepherd’s Table.

  • Food labels must remain intact and legible.

  • Glass containers, alcoholic beverages, soda, pet food, and opened or exposed food are not permitted.

Building your sculpture

  • Teams may build on February 11 or February 12, 2027.

  • No more than five team members may work on a sculpture at one time.

  • Teams may take up to 12 hours to complete their sculptures.

  • Sculptures must be structurally self-supporting.

Structural supports

Teams may use:

  • Clear tape and double-sided tape

  • Velcro and magnets

  • High-tension rubber bands, nylon string, wire, and tie-backs

  • Tubes, wooden rods, and threaded rods for alignment

  • Materials up to ¼ inch thick for leveling, but not as load-bearing supports. These may include cardboard, foam-core, Masonite, MDF, plywood, or Plexiglas.

The following are not permitted:

  • 2-by-4 boards

  • Leveling boards thicker than ¼ inch

  • Sheet metal

  • Permanent adhesives

Judging and awards

Sculptures will be judged on design and structural ingenuity, first impression, attention to detail and use of labels, and the variety and nutritional value of the food used.

Awards will be presented for Jurors’ Favorite, Best Structural Ingenuity, Best Use of Labels, Best Meal, and People’s Choice. Visitors can vote for their favorite sculpture through donation-based voting.

After the event, the sculptures will be taken apart and the food donated to Shepherd’s Table.