Ticket purchases on the rise as Azalea Festival nears

The ticket office on Oleander Drive was extremely busy Friday as excitement is starting to build for next week’s Azalea Festival.

The ticket office had a special visitor; one of the clowns from the Cole Brothers Circus greeted ticket buyers this afternoon.

The circus will run for four consecutive days starting next Thursday. Tickets for the circus can be purchased at the Azalea Festival office through Wednesday.

Starting Thursday, the first day of the circus, tickets can be purchased at the circus on the grounds of the Wilmington International Airport. Adult tickets cost $20 while children get in for $15.