The 2026 “Photo Contest - Catch the Spirit of William B. Umstead State Park” Exhibit will feature photography of the Park, its structures and nature, so get out your cameras, pick out your best shots and submit an entry to our contest.
The submission deadline is 11:59pm Sunday June 28, 2026
Entries are limited to one per category.
1. Photo - Where are Your Footprints?
People doing Park activities, or evidence of people doing Park activities
2. Photo - Stories in Stone - Remnants and structures of the Park history
3. Photo- In the Wild - Flora (plants)
4. Photo - In the Wild - Fauna (animals)
5. Illustration - featuring or inspired by plants, animals, landscape or historic features within William B. Umstead State Park. Illustrations can be a simple sketch that could be used on a Park T-shirt or mug, full color drawings or paintings, and computer enhanced photographs. Art can be produced via hand or computer.
1. Adult. Age 17 and over
2. Youth. Age 16 and under
First, Second and Honorable Mention winners will receive the following:
Winners are encouraged to attend the exhibit reception, which is open to the public. The reception will take place on Saturday, August 8, 2-4pm.
Registration is available now. The deadline for submissions is June 28, 2026, 11:59pm. Be prepared to upload your photo with your registration (20MB file size limit). Please rename your entry as Please change file name to: "Entry Title, FirstName LastName". One entry per registration, you can submit only one entry for each of the 5 categories.
Photos must be taken in Umstead State Park to be eligible. Illustrations must be inspired by William B. Umstead State Park. Your photo can be taken at anytime, so you can take new photos or look through your treasure trove of past photos. Similarly, your illustration can be created anytime. See the contest rules and waiver here.
Download a PDF flyer of the event 2026 Umstead photo and illustration contests flyer.pdf
Save the date for our popular fall native plant sale! We'll share more details closer to the event. 100% of proceeds support William B. Umstead State Park.
11am–noon
Umstead Coalition members and anyone who has donated $15 or more on or after October 1, 2025 receive early entry and first pick of the plants. Not yet a member? Joining is one of the most direct ways to support the Park. Become a member or donate before the sale to ensure you get in first!
Our plant sales draw hundreds of people and we need lots of help to make them a success. If you'd like to volunteer for Friday setup or Saturday's sale, we'd love to have you.
We'll provide pricing and the plant list closer to the event.
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