Build Your Own Whirligig Competition

The North Carolina Whirligig Festival, now in its 20th anniversary year, invites all inventors, dreamers, and creators of all ages to participate in the "Build Your Own Whirligig" competition. The festival celebrates people and art in motion, held annually during the first full weekend in November. Participants are challenged to create whimsical, colorful, and kinetic outdoor sculptures using found materials, working solo, with friends and family, or with neighbors.

Requirements: The majority of your whirligig (more than 50%) must be made from recycled, repurposed, or reclaimed materials. It must stand on its own when displayed and include movable elements that move by wind. Your whirligig should have a name and be delivered in person on Friday, November 1, 2024, the evening before the festival opens. All entries will remain on display through Sunday, November 3, 2024, at 5 p.m., and must be picked up by 7 p.m. that day. Judging takes place Saturday morning with winners announced on the Whirligig Stage in the afternoon (typically around 3 p.m.). First place receives a $250 cash prize, mailed within 30 days of the festival's close. This competition is open to all U.S. residents 18 and older, both professional and amateur artists. Entry is free. Submit digital images through CallForEntry.com by October 25, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. MDT. The festival takes place at Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park, 301 S. Goldsboro Street, Wilson, NC 27893.