The Competition With a Can-Do Attitude Is Back and Cannier Than Ever
October 19, 2026
It’s time to get excited for Canstruction, the can’t miss can-petition of the year. This annual design contest taking place at Brookfield Place (230 Vesey St.) challenges teams to create larger-than-life sculptures with unopened cans of food. From “The Odyssey” to the New York Knicks’ championship win, creations will span pop-culture, landmarks and New York i-cans. With 22 teams stacked with architects, engineers and contractors, these sculptures are sure to be can-tastic. When the exhibition ends, all of the cans used will be donated to City Harvest, New York City’s first and largest food rescue organization.
To join in the can-tagious spirit, watch these can-gineers build live from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 29. The sculptures will then be on display October 30 to November 9 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. Whenever you visit, you can drop off canned food to be added to the donation. There will also be educational tours of the exhibition and an activity worksheet for the kids.
Visitors can pick their favorite and vote for who should take home the People’s Choice award. Other prizes will be dished out by the panel of judges for Best Original Design, Best Use of Labels, Structural Ingenuity, Best Meal, Most Cans and honorable mentions. No matter who wins, this celebration of creativity for a good cause is something worth stacking up for.
photo: Bowery Image Group, courtesy Brookfield Place New York
