• Queen's Coronation

    Join us for the Queen's coronation. This is your chance to meet all the Festival Celebrities and watch the Queen Azalea be crowned.

  • Shag Contest

    The NC Azalea Festival Shag Contest attracts some of the best shaggers in the Carolinas and beyond. A partner dance of grace and individual style makes this event a MUST SEE.

  • Street Fair Main Stage

    Look back in March for a detailed entertainment schedule of the Main Stage.

  • Art Unveiling

     Art Unveiling 2012...Artwork by Terry Sellers Harrison

  • Concert

    Check back soon for concert schedules and when tickets will be going on sale!

  • Street Fair

    The North Carolina Azalea Festival street fair is a free, family event with over 200 vendors and a whole lot of fun!

  • Azalea 5K/10K/Fun Walk

    The Azalea 5K/10K/Fun Walk is an annual event hosted by the Cape Fear Volunteer Center.

  • Juried Art Show

    Over 100 North Carolina artists and national artists present fine paintings at the Annual Juried Spring Art Show and Sale.

  • Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Garden Tour

    The Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Garden Tour the tour is one of the longest running and most popular garden tours in the South.

  • Parade

    The NC Azalea Festival Parade is an annual event that is viewed by over 500,000 people.


     

  • Azalea Children's Tea

    2012 Children's Tea: The Princess and the Pea

  • Visiting Ships

    As you enjoy the beauty of downtown Wilmington, take time to notice the visiting ships.

  • Circus

    Covering more than an acre of ground, the Cole Bros. Circus Big Top is a favorite event of the Festival.

  • Historic Home Tour

    The NC Azalea Festival Home Tour is an annual event, where all proceeds benefit the Historic Wilmington Foundation.

  • Scholarship Pageant

    Senior girls from area high schools compete for the Azalea Princess title based on a private interview with judges, evening gown competition and on-stage presentation.

  • Street Fair Multicultural Stage

    The Festival of Cultures is a truly multicultural event which highlights the rich diversity of cultures that make the Greater Cape Fear Region a delightful place to live.

  • Boxing

    Some of the finest boxers from the National & International level of competition & from the military branches compete in this event.

Azalea Festival Economic Impact Study

Study shows that the NC Azalea Festival has a $50 million dollar impact on Wilmington. Dr. Stephen Meinhold and Woody Hall of UNC Wilmington conducted the study during the Azalea Festival earlier this year.

Read more about it here:
Star News
WECT
Greater Wilmington Business Journal

Festival Applications:

 

2012 Band Application - Deadline date: Feb. 1st

Are you and your band interested in performing during the North Carolina Azalea Festival in 2012? We are now accepting applications. Please click on the link below to fill out our online application.

 

2012 Parade Applications - Deadline date: Feb. 28th

Are you interested in being a part of the North Carolina Azalea Festival Parade in 2012? We are now accepting applications. Please click on the link below to fill out the online application. Thank you!

 

2012 Street Fair - Deadline date: Feb. 28th

Are you interested in being a part of the North Carolina Azalea Festival Street Fair in 2012? We are now accepting applications. Please click on the link below to fill out the online application. Thank you!


Food / Arts & Crafts / Commericial


About the NC Azalea Festival

Join the Tradition

Since its inception in 1948, the Festival has blossomed into an extended weekend celebration that attracts more than 300,000 people. The Festival is a non-profit civic organization and this year is sponsored in substantial part by its five (5) major sponsors: Progress Energy, Wells Fargo Bank, the Hilton Wilmington Riverside, Coastal Beverage, and Neuwirth Motors.

For more than 50 years, the folks of Southeastern North Carolina have been throwing the best party in the South and you're invited! There's something for everyone among our community's rich array of artwork, gardens, history and culture. Come join us!



Official Party

Festival Events