Businesses prepare for economic boom brought about by North Carolina Azalea Festival

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — From lavish parties and concerts to home and garden tours, the North Carolina Azalea Festival offers something for everyone.

One of the festival’s biggest draws is the street fair, which runs Friday through Sunday in downtown Wilmington.

The festival can be a significant economic driver for some local businesses, including those new to the area.

Jules Martone, manager of the newly opened Pepper Palace on Front Street, said she’s looking forward to the exposure.

“We know that this is going to be a great weekend for us and we’re really doing some, some really fun promotions around it, and we hope to gain a lot more visibility,” Martone said.

Festival organizers estimate that 250,000 people attend the festival’s events every year.

Kim Hufham is the CEO of the New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority.

She said the festival also serves as an unofficial start to the busy season.

“We really look at it as kind of a kickoff for our spring time,” Hufham said. “Generally either the Azalea Festival or Easter really kicks off spring for us here in the area. So we’re just always excited about, you know, being able to showcase our city during this time.”

Chap Wallace owns Port City Cheesesteaks.

He said the festival gives his business a huge boost following the slow winter season.

“Sometimes double to triple the amount of people you would normally see, definitely, if not more than that that you would see on an average weekend, especially like I said in April, going into this time of year,” Wallace said. “It’s not quite summer yet but it’s definitely a big boom to, you know, pull you out of the winter and get you going.”

According to a UNCW study, the Azalea Festival generates upwards of $50 million in economic impact on the region.