We're thankful for all our volunteers. Please read below for task descriptions and schedules for the 2024 Walk/Run/Bike for Umstead event.
We'll try to assign you to your volunteer selections; however, if a slot is filled, we may assign you to another task in the same time period — assignments are made in the order of receiving volunteer forms. Please call (919) 852-2268 or email us if you have any questions.
Volunteers must be at least 11 years of age. All volunteers under 18 must have waiver signed by a guardian or parent. The Walk/Run/Bike for Umstead happens rain or shine.
Volunteers may purchase a t-shirt for $20 when they sign up here to volunteer or at the event. ($5 discount)
The days and tasks we need the most volunteers are below:
Registration Packet Preparations
Wednesday, April 17
Thursday, April 18
Friday, April 19
Putting up tents, site prep, serving food, kids crafts, route tables, registration and more. Park at 6000 Reedy Creek Rd, Raleigh (drive through pasture gate). Sign-in at Volunteer Table.
Site Setup
Parking
Photography
Stage Musicians (invitees only)
Exhibitor (invitees only)
Registration, Sales and Odd Jobs
Route Tables
Hand out fruit and water. Please bring a cell phone. You can contact us at: (919) 852-2268.
Bike Safety and Support
You must provide your own mountain bike and wear a helmet. Please bring a cell phone. You can contact us at (919) 852-2268. Note: If Triangle Off-road Cyclists (TORC) or Old North Cycling member helping with the bike tours, please sign-up at through those organizations.
Food Serving and Recycling Management
Kids Crafts
Supervise crafts with kids.
Take Down
Take down tents, dismantle stage and load into trailers.
Donate to the Umstead Coalition and get drawing tickets to win a Blackstone 4 burner liquid propane outdoor griddle. Grill is being donated by "Walton & Maready Orthodontics."
$10 for one ticket
$20 for two tickets
$25 for three tickets
$50 for six tickets
$100 for 12 tickets
Drawing will be held at 3pm at the end of the Umstead Coalition's May 4, 2024 native plant sale (Reedy Creek Entrance parking lot, off Harrison Avenue. You do not need to present to win. Grill will be shipped to the winner for free.
You can donate for the drawing at the 2024 Walk/Run/Bike on April 20, at the Native Plant Sale May 4, or online: https://square.link/u/wipDZ6DJ
Weather update: The event will go on rain or shine!
Enjoy a great day on park trails with a 4-mile walk/run or 4, 7 or 12-mile bike ride. Our annual event includes over 200 participants — runners, walkers, bikers, babies in strollers and pets on leashes.
Gates and vendors open 8am. The bike ride starts at 9:30am and the 4-mile walk/run starts at 9:45am.
More event information: Walk/Run/Bike for Umstead
The first 75 registrants receive a special gift from Great Outdoor Provision Company.
Registration fees: Adult $45; Youth (age 12 and under) $30; Senior (age 60 and over) $40. There is a $10 discount for registrations through April 14. Through April 14, registration fees are: Adult $35; Youth $20; Senior $30. Participants receive an event bag which includes T-shirt, coupons, and event bib. Pick up your event bag at these locations.
Spectators are welcome at no fee.
Important Dates
Onsite parking for the event is at 6000 Reedy Creek Road, Raleigh. Please note this is a private meadow next to Umstead State Park, not one of the normal Park entrances).
Sign-up to Volunteer
VOLUNTEER HERE
We're looking for volunteers to help us with our popular Spring Native Plant Sale on May 4! Volunteer tasks will include organizing the plants and Umstead State Park merchandise, assisting folks buying plants and takedown.
We have two volunteer time slots:
We are also looking for volunteers to help with set-up on Friday.
We're looking for up to 30 volunteers to help make this event run smoothly.
Location: We'll be setting up in the grassy area on the right when you pull into the Reedy Creek entrance parking lot at Umstead State Park (2100 N Harrison Ave, Cary, NC 27513)
SPRING PLANT SALE
Our Sprint Native Plant Sale will be on Saturday, May 4 from 12pm-3pm. We'll be selling locally-grown, native flowers, shrubs and trees.
EARLY ENTRY! — Umstead Coalition Members (with current membership or donations over $15 from October 1, 2023) will get early access from 11am-noon.
100% of all proceeds from the event go to support William B. Umstead State Park.
Location: We'll be set up in the grassy area on the right when you drive into the parking lot at the Harrison Ave, Cary entrance to Umstead State Park (2100 N Harrison Ave, Cary, NC 27513).
Registration is not required, but will help us know how many to expect.
Volunteers help make this event successful. Sign up to volunteer here
Pricing
Plant list (check back, more may be added close to event)
1 gallon:
Asimina triloba "Pawpaw"
Rhododendron atlanticum "Dwarf azalea"
Vaccinium corymbosum "Highbush blueberry"
Callicarpa americana "American beautyberry"
Itea virginica "Virginia sweetspire"
Corylus americana "American hazelnut"
Cephalanthus occidentalis "Button bush"
Viburnum dentatum "Arrow wood"
Ilex verticillata "Winterberry"
Diospyros virginiana "Persimmon" (limited number)
4 inch:
Amsonia tabernaemontana "Eastern bluestar"
Coreopsis lanceolata "Lance-leaf coreopsis"
Eryngium aquaticum "Marsh rattlesnakemaster"
Eutrochium fistulosum "Trumpetweed/Joe-pye weed"
Liatris spicata "Blazing star"
Lobelia elongata "Blue lobelia"
Muhlenbergia capillaris "Hairawn muhly"
Solidago rugosa "Wrinkleleaf goldenrod"
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae "New England aster"
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium "Aromatic aster"
Physostegia virginiana "Obedient plant"
Monarda fitulosa "Bee balm / wild bergamot"
"Mountain mint"
The 2024 “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 June 16, 2024
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, July 20, 2-4pm.
Registration is available now. The deadline for submissions is June 16, 2024, 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 2024 Umstead photo and illustration contests flyer.pdf.
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