North Carolina Azalea Festival

Events ServicesNorth Carolina, United States11-50 Employees

The North Carolina Azalea Festival is a long-running annual events program based in Wilmington, North Carolina, that marks April with a week-long celebration of the region’s springtime culture and community life. Founded in 1948, it is the state’s largest festival of its kind and serves as a focal point for springtime pageantry and Southern hospitality in the area. The festival encompasses more than 50 events, produced with a large volunteer network, including concerts, fairs, a garden party, home and garden tours, a parade, and related activities.

Annual attendance figures indicate broad engagement, with more than a million people participating across events each year, and the two-day Street Fair drawing around 200,000 while the parade attracts over 100,000 spectators. The Southeast Tourism Society has long recognized the festival as a Top 20 Event, reflecting its significance to the region’s tourism landscape. In 2026, the organization appointed Melissa Lasarsky as executive director, marking a leadership update for the festival.

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