Cape Fear Garden Club welcomes first male Azalea Ambassador

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — It’s Azalea Week in Wilmington! Organizers of the 75th North Carolina Azalea Festival say this year has been about embracing old traditions and inviting more people into the fold to build new ones.

One change this year, the Cape Fear Garden Club transitioned their belles to ambassadors, inviting more interested high schoolers to be apart of the festivities.

Laney High School junior Jonathan Krueger is the very first male Azalea Festival ambassador, and so far this week, he’s worn the bow tie well. Krueger moved to Wilmington when he was seven, and remembers looking forward to the parade and other events each year. Krueger visited an elementary school Thursday morning, and pointed out how change can inspire.

“I think one of the teachers mentioned that he could be one of the ambassadors, and he was like, no they’re all girls,” Krueger explained. “Whenever I heard that I walked up to him and was like, you could totally do this. I’m doing this right now. I love what we’re doing. It’s just so much fun. Going to all the events… like when I was little I just watched them, and now I’m able to be apart of them. ”

Krueger said he’s looking forward to answering any questions people might have about the festival and Cape Fear Garden Club.