I don’t know about you, but this is my favorite time of year in Wilmington. The weather is perfect for enjoying the outdoors- from running the loop at Wrightsville Beach to riding bikes around Greenfield Lake. And, of course, springtime in Wilmington would not be complete without mention of the North Carolina Azalea Festival!

Founded in 1948, the Azalea Festival has emerged as Wilmington’s premier spring event- an annual community celebration and the largest festival of its kind in the state. 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. Festival highlights include the Queen’s coronation, a three-hour parade, two-day street fair, the circus, home and garden tours, and concerts.

Please keep on reading for a summary of events happening this weekend during the festival. I hope to see you there!

Opening Ceremony
The Festival opens with the Queen’s Coronation, welcoming the 2008 Queen Azalea, Barbara Alyn Woods, and other celebrity guests. This is a free-admission event held on Wednesday at 3PM in the Riverfront Park.

Parade
This fun-filled, three-hour extravaganza starts at 9AM on Saturday. The parade begins on Third Street and winds its way through historic downtown Wilmington. Enjoy floats, celebrities, marching bands, and clowns. No admission charged.

Street Fair
There’s fun and entertainment everywhere including arts and crafts vendors, music stages, international foods, displays and exhibits. Food and music begins Friday with the full fair in action Saturday and Sunday. You’ll find the street fair on Water, Front, Dock, Market, Princess, Chestnut, and Grace Streets.

Circus
With an international cast of circus stars and a tent full of educated, exotic animals, Cole Brother’s Circus is a must-see. This year’s performance features a trio of talented elephants, fearless flyers, camels, clowns, motorcycle maniacs in the Globe of Death, clever canines, teeterboard acrobats, trapeze, aerial gymnasts, the world’s funniest horse, and—of course—the human cannonball. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for kids and seniors, and $25 for VIP seats. Catch the two-hour show Thursday and Friday 4:30PM or 7:30PM, Saturday at 1:30PM, 4:30PM or 7:30PM, and Sunday at 1:30PM or 4:30PM.

Concerts
Concerts this year include Sugarland (which is sold out) and Colbie Caillat (tickets still available). Catch Colbie Caillat at the Trask Coliseum at UNCW for $45 Friday at 7:30PM.

Home Tour
The Historic Wilmington Foundation Home Tour will take place on Saturday and Sunday from 1:00—6:00PM. Mayor Bill Saffo will do the honors of officially beginning the Home Tour with the cutting of the ribbon on Saturday at 12:30PM at the home of Lynn and Rodney Turner (1103 Windsor Drive). List of additional homes TBA.

Garden Tour
This year’s theme is “Gardens from the River to the Sea.” The Garden Tour opens Friday, April 11th with the colorful ribbon cutting ceremony at the Governor Dudley Mansion. The remaining ten gardens offer visitors a variety of unique
gardenscapes. Tickets are $20 and good for all three days. For more information visit AzaleaGardenTour.org.

And More
Additional Azalea Festival events include boxing, the juried art show and sale, a coin show, horse show, princess pageant, and shag contest. Visit NCAzaleaFestival.org for details.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 9th, 2008 at 4:57 pm and is filed under News, Great Finds, Fun in Wilmington. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.