The 78th North Carolina Azalea Festival Parade will take place on Saturday, April 11th, 9:30AM – 11:30AM. along 3rd Street downtown – we hope to see you there! Join the biggest celebration of the North Carolina Azalea Festival- our annual Parade! Watch beautiful floats, giant balloons, marching bands, and more as they take to 3rd Street and strut!
Parade Hours of Operation
April 11th, 2026
Parade Reviewing Stand Pre-Show: 9:00 AM
Parade: 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Join the biggest celebration of the North Carolina Azalea Festival- our annual Parade! Watch beautiful floats, giant balloons, marching bands, and more as they take to 3rd Street and strut! 🌺
For questions about participating in the parade, please reach out to parade@ncazaleafestival.org.
Thank you to Friends of the Parade:
Amberleigh Shores Apartment Community
YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina
General Parade Information
Viewing:
Main viewing areas will be all along 3rd Street, from Market Street to Bladen Street. Viewing along the route is always free, though reserved Festival bleacher tickets are available for purchase at the North Carolina Azalea Festival Ticket Office for $8.24 in advance.
Parking:
Parking is available in all public parking decks downtown; access to the 2nd Street parking decks is via Princess Street only, and only until 8:45 am. Once in the parking deck, cars will not be permitted to leave until after the Parade is over. ADA parking is on the corner of Chestnut and 3rd Street, and is accessible via Chestnut Street until 8:45 am.
