Entries are now being accepted for the annual Azalea Photo Contest, a collaboration between Graham County Travel & Tourism and The Graham Star.
This year's contest includes a twist: entries will be voted on by readers of The Star. Photos will be included in the July 9 edition of The Star, with a box to check off your choice and mail to P.O. Box 69, Robbinsville, NC, 28771. No photocopies will be accepted.
Votes must be postmarked by Tuesday, July 14; the winning entry will be printed on the front page of The Star's July 30 edition.
All submissions are due by 11:59 p.m., Tuesday, June 30.
The guidelines for entering the contest are as follows:
* Snap one photo of the county's native flower and submit to editor@grahamstar.com;
* Only digital photos will be accepted (limit one photo per entrant);
* Photos must be taken within the timeframe of the contest (June 2026); entries must include a location and date when the photo was taken, to be entered.
The winner will receive a native azalea plant, courtesy of Satterfield's Briarpatch Greenhouse and Nursery; a t-shirt and a mug from Graham County Travel & Tourism; and a one-year subscription to The Star.