On Saturday, October 13, more than 27,000 photo walkers, united by their love for photography, will take to the streets in a free global photography event: the 5th Annual Worldwide Photo Walk.

The Worldwide Photo Walk is a social photography gathering where photographers meet, usually in an urban area, to walk around, shoot photos, and generally have fun with other photographers! The WWPW, organized by photography instructor Scott Kelby, is the world’s largest event of this nature—with groups registered in more than 1,000 cities—and plenty of room for more sign-ups.

Here in my city of Santa Barbara, California, Walter Naumann will lead a group along the Breakwater from 12-3pm. Participants will meet on the lawn by Chuck’s Waterfront Grill and gather again at Chuck’s after the walk. Walkers can register up until the day of the walk, as long as space allows. To register for the Santa Barbara walk, click here. To find a WWPW in your area, click here.

After the Photo Walk, there is even more fun in store! For a chance to win great prizes, log in at WorldwidePhotoWalk.com, go to your city’s walk page, and submit your single best image to the WWPW contest. You can enter a pano, HDR, or B&W. You can create a collage…or use Hipstamatic or Instagram on your iPhone. Your entry just has to be shot during your walk and submitted by October 22. Prizes will be awarded to a winner from each city, to the Top 10 finalists, a Grand Prize winner and the People’s Choice. Voting for the People’s Choice takes place from November 9-16 with the winner announced on November 19.

The WWPW will also include a wonderful opportunity to help others. An official Worldwide PhotoWalk T-Shirt has been created and 100% of the profits from their sales will go to feeding children at the Springs of Hope Kenya Orphanage.

To learn more about the Worldwide Photo Walk, go to worldwidephotowalk.com.