The North Carolina Azalea Festival, April 12-16, 2023, has been throwing the best party in the south for 75 years!
The Festival celebration features concerts, a street fair, big-name entertainment, a parade and more.
The festivities kick off Thursday, April 13 with Carly Pearce performing waterfront at Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park.
The DGX Street Fair provides an array of shopping and food experiences with more than 250 vendors, as well as a Children’s Area with hands-on activities for the little ones to enjoy.
On Saturday, the North Carolina Azalea Festival Parade takes place downtown followed by the free Tunes & Blooms Music Festival at Greenfield Lake Amphitheater.
The evening finale is a fireworks display over the Cape Fear River.
Attend the North Carolina Azalea Festival and make it a coastal getaway to Wilmington and Island Beaches.
The Azalea Festival has several events that cover a period of five days – April 12-16, 2023. Events include street fairs, concerts, coin shows, boxing matches, art shows, a parade, and tours of homes and gardens. The main event of the festival is the garden tour that highlights the Wilmington area’s most beautiful gardens.
The Azalea Festival began in 1948 as an idea of Dr. W. Houston Moore, M.D. Dr. Moore held a meeting in Wilmington’s Chamber of Commerce with leading civil club representatives to discuss and begin planning for the first Azalea Festival. The festival would take place in April 1948 and would serve the purpose of showcasing the beauty of the local gardens such as Airlie Gardens, Orton Gardens, and Greenfield Gardens. The first sidewalk show was also held in 1953 and has continued as a tradition since.
A unique tradition held by the Azalea Festival is the Belles. The belles are young ladies serve as hostesses and guides to the gardens in the area. They wear antebellum attire and serve as a traditional accent of the NC Azalea Festival. To become an Azalea Belle, one must apply for the position; however, precedence is given to those girls who are either daughters or granddaughters of Cape Fear Garden Club members. The number of belles needed for each year is dependent upon the size of the gardens in the tour.
The Azalea Festival is a local favorite of Wilmingtonians and visitors alike. There’s an event for everyone. This year’s festival begins April 12 and runs through April 16, 2023.
Tickets and more information can be found on the Azalea Festival’s website www.ncazaleafestival.org
The North Carolina Azalea Festival P.O. Box 3275 Wilmington, NC 28406 Phone: (910) 794-4650 Visit NC Azalea Festival websiteE-mail: [email protected] |