Wave Transit to provide Azalea Festival Parade express shuttles

WILMINGTON, NC (News Release) — In an effort to alleviate traffic congestion and ease parking concerns for the 2021 Azalea Festival Parade, Wave Transit will be providing express shuttles from Independence Mall to Downtown Wilmington.

On Saturday, August 21, 2021, express shuttles will operate for the parade from 7:00am-2:00pm. At 7:00am, the first shuttle will leave Independence Mall and arrive on 4th St. between Chestnut St. and Princess St. in downtown Wilmington to drop off passengers who are attending the Azalea Festival Parade.

Festival-goers wanting to take advantage of this service can park at Independence Mall, leave their cars for the duration of the day, and return after the parade. Parking at the mall is free and is located conveniently in the lot behind Firehouse Subs. The express bus service costs only $4.00 per person round-trip for adults and $2.00 per person round-trip for children. Children 4 years of age and younger can ride for free with a fare paying adult. Payment must be made using cash only. Exact change and small bills are preferred. Masks are required to be worn while on board buses.

Passengers who utilize the express shuttle service will avoid the frustration of finding a parking space downtown for the parade and other festival events. The express shuttles will operate on 15-minute intervals from 7:00am-2:00pm, with the last shuttle leaving Downtown Wilmington at 1:45pm.

Individuals remaining in the downtown area after 1:45pm can easily use their express shuttle ticket to board a Wave Transit bus for the ride back to Independence Mall. Bus Route 202 will take passengers from Wave Transit’s downtown transfer center, located at 3rd Street between Campbell St. and Red Cross St., to Independence Mall.

If you need additional Azalea Festival Parade shuttle information, please call check our social media. We are Wave Transit on Facebook, @WaveTransitILM on Twitter, and @RideTheWaveILM on Instagram.

You can also call Wave Transit at 910.343.0106, send an email to info@wavetransit.com, or visit our website, www.wavetransit.com.