Another North Carolina Azalea Festival is fast approaching. Azaleas are starting to bloom, along with the Dogwoods and others of the Cape Fear region. I, myself, have been absent from the Wilmington area for over 20 years, so I have not witnessed the beauty of the spring bloom in the Wilmington area for quite some time.
This year’s festival marks the 62nd annual North Carolina Festival in the city of Wilmington. For over a half a century, the festival has been a source of pride for many Wilmingtonians, starting with the coronation of the Official Azalea Queen and her Court, then throughout the week, the citizens can enjoy such entertainment as the Cole Bros circus, concerts, a street fair, garden tours, a parade, all to showcase what the south is all about. This years queen , just announced last week is Amrapali Ambegaokar. She was the silver winner in the solo competition on Superstars of Dance, the show produced and directed by mastermind Nigel Lithgow (American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance) during the finale on January 26, 2009. Other notables to have held throne over the Azalea Festival are: actress and champion swimmer Esther Williams, actresses Polly Bergen, Shelly Fabares, Joan Van Ark, Sharon Gless, Phylicia Rashad, Kim Zimmer and talk show diva Kelly Ripa.
“I Wonder”
This years headlining concerts will feature the reigning American Idol Champion, David Cook and country superstar Kellie Pickler. Past entertainers have been a very diverse group also, such as: Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Carrie Underwood, The Beach Boys, Alabama, The Judds, Jessica Simpson and Natalie Cole. Also a must-see while in town are the Garden Tours throughout the area. The Azalea Garden Tour begins Friday, April 3, 2009 with the colorful ribbon cutting ceremony at the home of Rick and Myrna Willetts. Located in the historic Forrest Hills area, the 1939 antebellum style home was built by the current owner’s grandfather. Many of the original plantings still grace this grand garden including azaleas, maples and camellias. Queen Azalea LXII and her court preside over the ceremony. The Summerall Guards, the Citadels elite senior drill team, escort over 100 beautiful Azalea Belles dressed in authentic antebellum gowns. Local and national celebrities are also present to celebrate the event, including Joe Gallison (Days of Our Lives) and Nicholas Braun (Without a Trace and Law & Order:SVU),. Following the ceremony, members of The Cape Fear Garden Club serve refreshments and hundreds of homemade cookies. Musical entertainment and media coverage complete this exciting event.
Tickets for all events may be purchased at the North Carolina Azalea Festival ticket office located at 5725 Oleander Dr in the Oleander Oaks Shopping center, or by clicking on this link.
A schedule of all events during the 62nd Annual Azalea Festival can be viewed at this link.
I hope to see and meet many of you at the festivities. Have some fun, winter is over.
Muley's Cafe 2.0 
