Beach Bites

As the air warms the days lengthen and the Port City comes alive with vibrant pinks whites and purples Wilmington residents know one thing for certain: It’s time for the Azalea Festival.

This year from April 1-5 Wilmington will hold its 62^nd annual North Carolina Azalea Festival. Since 1948 the festival has been the Port City’s most anticipated attended and beloved event. “It’s both a family event and a tradition ” says Erica Mearns Azalea Festival president elect. “It’s not uncommon to have families from generation to generation working for and attending the festival.” More than 1 000 volunteers and 125 events make the North Carolina Azalea Festival a delightful display of nature food fun and Southern hospitality at its best showcasing our beautiful city at the peak of its splendor.

Queen’s Coronation April 1

The crowning of the Azalea Festival Queen is the official kick-off to the festival. On April 1 Amrapali Ambegaokar the silver winner in the solo competition on Superstars of Dance will be crowned the 62^nd Azalea Festival Queen by former festival president Walker Taylor at Riverfront Park. The current president Sherman Lee Criner will act as emcee to the coronation and will be joined by his daughter Meredith who will sing the national anthem. While it’s never a bad idea to cross your fingers for good weather the stars seem to always align for the Azalea Festival. “I’ve been working on the coronation for 30 years and it hasn’t rained once ” says Gloria Ezzell chairperson of the Queen’s Coronation Committee.

Garden Tours April 3-5

Every year a handful of Wilmington families with particularly beautiful gardens are gracious enough to publicly display them on the Garden Tour. The 2009 tour begins with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 3 at the home of Rick and Myrna Willetts in the Forest Hills area. This year’s theme is “Something Old Something New.”

“I had the idea when I heard that three of the twelve gardens on the tour had hosted weddings ” says tour chairman Brenda Moore. While some gardens on the tour have been the start of something new others are the home of old favorites. The Willetts’ garden for instance boasts some of the oldest magnolia trees and azalea bushes in town. “It’s a wonderful way to see all the gardens in Wilmington ” says Moore. “And so many people do their own gardening. With the economy the way it is it’s nice to know that you can still have a breathtaking garden on a lower budget.”

Street Fair April 3-5 and Parade April 4

The Azalea Festival Street Fair will be bigger than ever this year featuring more artists more performers and of course more food. “The street fair is the best time to get food that’s not so great for you ” says president Sherman Lee Criner laughing. This year the street fair is staging the extreme: A skateboard ramp will be set up in the parking lot on Market Street and 2^nd Street and semi-professional skateboarders will have exhibitions on Saturday and Sunday.

As for the Azalea Festival Parade “Close to 100 000 people attend every year ” says Criner. “It’s always a big event.” This year’s Grand Marshal General Hugh Shelton a North Carolina native served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1997-2001.

Concerts — April 1 2

Giving Back

The Azalea Festival is not all fun and games. Well it is mostly fun and games but it’s also about serving the community. In addition to a visit to a senior center and women’s and children’s clinics the Azalea Queen’s Court and some of the festival’s guest celebrities will make a very special visit to New Hanover Regional Medical Center where they will spend time with patients. “We are very proud that this is part of the festival and we hope it will continue as a tradition ” says Criner.