The North Carolina Azalea Festival
The North Carolina Azalea Festival is Wilmington's annual community celebration and the largest festival of its kind in the state. Founded in 1948, the Azalea Festival has emerged as Wilmington's premier event.
Each April, a full week of natural beauty, big-name entertainment, festive galas, fun family events and Southern hospitality come together to showcase the charms of the Wilmington area. For community pride and springtime pageantry, the North Carolina Azalea Festival has no equal!
The Festival's concerts, fairs and special events are viewed by more than one million people each year, in person and through media coverage. More than 200,000 are estimated to attend the annual two-day street fair, while more than 100,000 gather to watch the Festival parade.
Each event is a celebration, beginning with the traditional arrival of Queen Azalea at the official opening of the four-day event on Wednesday. Stars glitter throughout town as Southern belles and their escorts promenade through lush gardens at the annual garden party.
On Saturday morning, a fun-filled, three-hour extravaganza parade winds through downtown Wilmington with floats, celebrities, marching bands, and clowns
On Saturday and Sunday the Street Fair features Arts & crafts vendors, concert stages, international foods, displays and exhibits in historic downtown Wilmington.
Other events include walking tours of the many gardens in full bloom, the contemporary Christian concert on Friday night, a street dance on Saturday evening, along with more entertainment on Sunday, and The Cole Bros. Circus that comes to town Thursday - Sunday of the Festival.
Concerts are also a highlight of the festivities. The Azalea Festival has a proud history of bringing top-notch, national entertainers to Wilmington. Past entertainers include Frank Sinatra, Carrie Underwood, the Beach Boys, Alabama, the Judds, Jessica Simpson, and Natalie Cole to name a few.
The Festival is a great source of local pride, with the entire community involved in displaying Wilmington to the world in its finest colors.
More than 1,000 volunteers are required to stage over 125 events ranging from concerts to art shows, a street fair with interactive displays, home and garden tours, a parade, special exhibits, a circus and a variety of other entertainment and events.
For ore information visit the North Carolina Azalea Festival at http://www.ncazaleafestival.org/Visitors/tabid/94/Default.aspx
