Azalea Festival Garden Tour Ribbon Cutting Ceremony takes place at Cameron Art Museum
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The 77th annual North Carolina Azalea Festival is underway.
Friday morning more than a hundred people gathered for the Cape Fear Garden Club’s 2024 Azalea Garden Tour Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. It’s the kickoff to an event that gives away proceeds to a number of local nonprofits.
The garden party took place at Wilmington’s Cameron Art Museum.
2024 Azalea Garden Tour Chair, Signa Stalvey, said this is one of the most anticipated events during the azalea festival.
“The azaleas are stunning, and the garden owners worked so hard and they’re so excited to see you come to our gardens and enjoy them,” Stalvey said.
Dozens attended in their floral attire. WWAY’s Jeff Rivenbark emceed the event and introduced azalea festival guests, including the 77th Queen Azalea, Sharon Lawrence. WWAY’s Hannah Patrick and Matt Bennett also brought viewers live coverage during the ceremony.
Next year’s appointed Azalea Garden Tour Chair, Pia Ann Robison, said she can feel a sense of togetherness during this time of year.
“You can tell the community loves this event and puts a lot of time and effort and work into it. So, it’s great for our community,” Robison said.
Following the ribbon cutting, the Cape Fear Garden Club served homemade cookies while violinists played. Attendees then made their way to the private gardens chosen for this year’s Azalea Garden Tour.
“The gardens are quite different this year. We have some large gardens, and we have some patio home gardens, for people who are wanting to downsize and to see good ideas of what you can do in a garden,” Stalvey said.
Proceeds from the Azalea Garden Tour will be given away as grants to local non-profit organizations for conservation and educational projects in New Hanover County. Since 2003, over $1.4 million has been awarded to the local community from the Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Garden Tour.
The Cape Fear Garden Club is one of the oldest and largest garden clubs in North Carolina. They’ve been around since 1925 and will celebrate their centennial year in 2025.
