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Riverfront street fair celebrating Wilmington in bloom
Downtown Wilmington’s spring street fair with hundreds of vendors, live performances, and family activities near the Cape Fear Riverwalk and waterfront.
Event details
The Azalea Festival spans five days and more than 25 events across Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, blending Southern hospitality, arts and culture, live entertainment, and seasonal botanical beauty into one of the state’s most beloved spring traditions. Founded in 1948 by Dr. W. Houston Moore to showcase Wilmington’s extraordinary garden landscapes, including Airlie Gardens, Orton Gardens, and Greenfield Gardens, the festival has grown into the largest event of its kind in North Carolina. The 2026 edition runs April 8 through 12, with the Street Fair anchoring the weekend on Front Street in Historic Downtown Wilmington from April 10 through 12.
Street Fair, Parade, and the Queen’s Coronation
The Street Fair runs Friday April 10 from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, Saturday April 11 from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and Sunday April 12 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM along Front Street in downtown Wilmington, with food vendors, artisan stalls, and live entertainment filling a fully walkable riverside corridor above the Cape Fear River. The Saturday Grand Parade, a tradition since 1947, draws hundreds of thousands of spectators with floats, marching bands, clowns, horses, and celebrity guests, including Queen Azalea and her Court. The Wednesday Queen’s Coronation at the Battleship North Carolina kicks off the full festival week with the kind of ceremony that younger kids find genuinely captivating and older ones quietly admit was worth attending.
Concert Headliners at Live Oak Bank Pavilion
Country artist Dustin Lynch, a Grand Ole Opry member with 10 number-one songs, headlines the Friday Night Concert on April 10 at 7:00 PM at Live Oak Bank Pavilion. Rapper Lil Jon performs the Thursday Night Concert on April 9, giving the opening nights a two-genre punch that covers a wide range of family preferences. Both concerts run rain or shine, and tickets sell quickly once they go live, so booking early is strongly advised.
Airlie Gardens, Wrightsville Beach, and the Water Side of the Festival
Airlie Gardens spans 67 acres of Wilmington property, created in 1901, and its azalea peak in April produces the kind of color that makes the whole festival make sense. A morning walk through Airlie before the Street Fair opens resets your perspective on the season. Wrightsville Beach sits just six miles east of downtown, where the Atlantic and a string of calm waterway channels give adventure families open water, kayak launches, and a wide beach for the stretches between events. The Intracoastal Waterway runs behind the barrier island, offering paddleboard rentals and calm conditions that work well for families with younger kids.
Where to Stay for the NC Azalea Festival
Downtown Wilmington is ideal for families prioritizing the street fair, parade, and concerts. Wrightsville Beach works well for ocean lovers planning time at Airlie Gardens. Midtown Wilmington offers more budget-friendly options with easy access to both areas. For a lakeside extension of the trip, Jordan Lake and Falls Lake State Recreation Areas lie within 90 minutes north, where waterfront cabin rentals provide open water, morning fishing, and quiet shorelines that balance the festival’s energy with the kind of stillness that makes a long weekend feel genuinely restorative. Browse available waterfront properties on Lake.com to find a North Carolina lake rental that gives your family both the celebration and the recovery in the same trip.
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