William B. Umstead State Park turns 90 this year!  Our Park was established in 1934 by the National Park Service Park to provide jobs during the Great Depression to build a forested recreational park.  As part of our beginnings, tens of thousands of trees were planted to restore eroded marginal farmland, Sycamore Lake was created and group camps were built.  Sycamore Group camp was the first built.  By 1990, the Sycamore Mess Hall was proposed to be destroyed due to lack of maintenance funds. Umstead Coalition fought to save the Sycamore mess hall and cabins.  Today, all the Park’s forested landscape and its historic buildings are protected by their 1995 listing in the National Register of Historic Places (Register Reference Number is 95000783, https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47718645; Summary pages here).  The Umstead Coalition is actively working to restore the Sycamore Mess hall; volunteers have already contributed several thousands of hours-truly a community effort!

To celebrate, we are holding a 90th Anniversary Birthday Bash!   Fittingly, we will hold our Birthday Bash at the Sycamore Mess Hall, near the Sycamore Multi-use trail head, which can be reached by entering the Park from the US70/Glenwood Avenue Park entrance.

Dress code is casual with suggestion to wear your "best flannel shirt"!

This event will feature:

• A limited edition Umstead-branded IPA produced and named by Clouds Brewing: "Don't Take Umstead for Granite."   All beer profits will be donated to the Umstead Coalition to support William B. Umstead State Park .   
• Other beers to round out the beer selections by Clouds Brewing
• Award winning root beer by Clouds Brewing
• Red and white wine choices
• Free lemonade and water
• Pizza by Papa Murphy's - fresh baked!
• Traditional thump-picking guitar, acoustic music by Nixon, Williams, and Gage
• Concert by Bett Padgett: Traditional, folk and original songs and stories - she will "edutain" us all!
• Social and program
• Silent Auction
• Raffle for outdoor grill
• Flannel shirt contest

This is a ticketed event with all proceeds serving William B. Umstead State Park.   Ticketed entry of $50 ($40 for those under 21) will include:

• Umstead 90th Commemorative beer or wine glass 
• 1 free glass of beer, wine or root beer 
• Social with music and hors d'oeuvres
• Fresh baked pizza
• Fresh popped popcorn
• Birthday cake!

Extra commemorative beer or wine glasses available for $15 each. Extra wine or beer tickets available with registration ($5) and at event ($6).  ID required to be served alcohol. 

Volunteers will receive free entry and $5 off your choice of drink or commemorative glass. 

The event has a ticket limit of 150 people.