North Carolina Azalea Festival at Wilmington

The North Carolina Azalea Festival at Wilmington, Inc. (the "Festival") plans, organizes and presents an annual community-based festival for one week each April when the area's azaleas are in full bloom. The Festival is designed to educate participants on the artistry, history, culture, and beauty of the Wilmington, NC area while promoting community pride, volunteerism, and civic awareness. The Festival's events/activities, which include a street fair; parade; garden and historical home tours; art shows; concerts; and various other family-oriented attractions, are attended by 300,000+ people. The following events and activities all take place during the week of the annual Festival: 1. A street fair and art exhibition showcasing the work of area artisans, craftsmen and area food vendors. 2. Public staged performances showcasing the talents of area musicians and dancers. This includes two days of multicultural programing which features contemporary and traditional music, dance, and ethnic pageantry highlighting Wilmington's cultural diversity. 3. A parade featuring marching bands from area and other North Carolina high schools; various youth organizations such as Girls Scouts and Boy Scouts, area performing arts organizations, and various civic organizations. 4. Youth sporting events including running and boxing competitions. 5. A children's art contest and exhibition. 6. A scholarship pageant for high school juniors from area schools. Pageant winners receive an academic scholarship and are invited to serve as Festival ambassadors. 7. Evening downtown Wilmington concerts featuring talent designed to draw members of the greater Wilmington area into the downtown area where the majority of festival events and activities occur. 8. Other family and youth oriented activities, such as a fireworks display and area elementary school visits, all designed to bring community awareness to the Festival and its mission. Events held in partnership with other non-profit public charities include: 1. A historic home tour which showcases the area's heritage, educating the general public on the historical significance of the Wilmington area and the importance of historic preservation. 2. A Wilmington area garden tour which showcases the area's beauty. 3. A concert, featuring culturally diverse musicians, to encourage a wide range of demographics to come out and enjoy the festival together. Each year the Festival selects a local artist to showcase his or her talent by creating an original piece of artwork to serve as the official artwork for that festival year. The selected piece of art is reprinted as the official Azalea Festival poster and is used to adorn other merchandise items.