NC celebration of spring voted one of the best flower fests in the country
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WNCN) — It’s a springtime tradition in North Carolina that dates back over 75 years, and now it’s being recognized as one of the top flower festivals in the country, according to one website.
The North Carolina Azalea Festival, which has been held in Wilmington since 1948, has been voted No. 5 on a list of the 10 best flower festivals in the U.S. by the readers of 10best.com, USA Today’s lifestyle and travel vertical.
The event is held every April, usually around the time the thousands of bushes of azaleas around the Port City are in peak bloom. In 2024, the festival is this week, with events being held from April 3-7.
“Each April, Southern charm is in full bloom at the annual North Carolina Azalea Festival,” the entry on the website says. “The community of Wilmington hosts this celebration of spring, which includes concerts, a street fair, parties, garden tours, and a parade. Festivalgoers are sure to see plenty of azaleas in bloom throughout the community.”
The festival is a mix of garden tours and parties, an art show, a parade, a street fair and live music and dance performances, among several other events. A Queen Azalea, Festival Princess and Festival Court are also selected each year.
In addition to community performances, Azalea Festival also draws in big name musical talent for its concerts throughout the week, with acts such as The Temptations, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Nelly, Duran Duran and Snoop Dogg entertaining crowds over the years. Musicians from North Carolina such as The Avett Brothers, Chase Rice and Scotty McCreery are also festival favorites. This year, Rice is returning to perform one night, with T-Pain as the main act on another night.
A newer feature for the festival is the International Blooms program, where another country’s culture is highlighted at Azalea Festival through food, art, music and dance performances and special guests and groups representing that nation or heritage. In 2024, the Philippines is the honored country for the International Blooms program.
Top 10 flower festivals in the U.S., as voted by 10best.com readers
1. Zoo Blooms at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden — Cincinnati, OH |
2. Mackinac Island Lilac Festival — Mackinac Island, MI |
3. Tulip Time — Holland, MI |
4. Northwest Flower & Garden Festival — Seattle, WA |
5. North Carolina Azalea Festival — Wilmington, NC |
6. Skagit Valley Tulip Festival — Mount Vernon, WA |
7. PHS Philadelphia Flower Show — Philadelphia, PA |
8. International Cherry Blossom Festival — Macon, GA |
9. California Poppy Festival — Lancaster, CA |
10. Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival — Orlando, FL |
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