WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) Miss American 2019 Nia Imani Franklin has been announced as this years Queen Azalea. Phyllis Davis is queen. Radio broadcaster Harry Wismer at microphone, with script; others include 1952 Azalea Queen Cathy Downs, Cleveland Browns football star Otto Graham (second from right), and Washington North Carolina Azalea Festival parade in downtown Wilmington, with float reading "Wilmington Kiwanis Club" and "Kiwanis Minstrel," with minstrel actors performing. This will be the last festival featuring Azalea belles, as the tradition will be ended in 2020. The shuttle will run from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the last one leaving at 1:45 p.m. Tickets are $2 one way or $4 round trips for regular tickets, or $1 one way and $2 roundtrip for reduced tickets, available for adults 65 and up or children ages 5 to 17 and UNCW students; kids under 5 ride free. The official festival dates are April 6-10, but some events have already happened (Paws on Parade back in March). Honored guests include University of North Carolina football star Charlie "Choo-Choo" Justice and Gen. George C. Marshall, recently retired as U.S. Secretary of State. UNCW did a year-long economic impact study more than a decade ago and found the festival brought in $50 million to the greater Wilmington area. 1970: Country star George Hamilton IV, "Yackety Sax" instrumentalist Boots Randolph, the Dells and former Miss America Vonda Kay Van Dyke provide the music. (The two quarreled often, and publicly, during the festival, and Mr. Brady left town early.). Marching band in a 1950s North Carolina Azalea Festival parade, viewed from crowd. More: Wine, walking and Wilmington: How this gal is creating a niche in the local event space. 2004 Miss America and "Amazing Race" star Ericka Dunlap is queen. For 2023, the N.C. Azalea Festival is keeping it local. Portrait of 1961 Azalea Festival Queen Shelly Fabares posing in one of Wilmington, NC's azalea gardens. Bert Parks signing autographs from an automobile at the Wilmington, NC Azalea Festival. They'll go on to play the fest again in 2013 and 2016. The average ticket price is $60. For the past three quarters of a century, April in Wilmington has meant the Azalea Festival. Musical acts are paid, generally in the six-figure range, which creates other headaches for festival officials. As a result, many recent festival queens and invited guests have had local connections. Azaleas are members of the Rhododendron genus, which contains over 1,000 varieties of woody flowering shrubs. Azalea Festival celebrities at event, with crowd of admirers with cameras. Wilmington StarNews 0:06 1:33 Seventy-five years ago this month, the first-ever Azalea Festival was held in Wilmington. Description. The Azalea Festival continues tonight with a concert headlined by Brantley Gilbert at Live Oak Bank Pavilion. 1971: The Army's Golden Knights parachute into the festival, while the U.S Navy invades with a small flotilla. She acknowledged that the edgy, noir-style drama "is not a film for everybody, but it's tied in directly to bringing all this filming into our region, and this was a way to honor that impact.". submission: { Access to the 2nd Street deck will be open via Princess Street only until 8:45 a.m. and cars cannot leave until the parade is over Saturday. Please send us an email at: info@portcitydaily.com, 2023 PortCity Daily | Website by Web Publisher PRO. ", Like all the court members, she witnessed the dust-ups between Ms. Williams and Mr. Brady. The Avett Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrdand "hick-hop" artist Colt Ford headline. Last year's queen, Nia Franklin, is a former Miss America (as a number of recent queens have been), while 2021 queen Victoria Huggins and 2020 queen Anne Hawthorne both had ties to the area. Celebrity chef Vivian Howard is a festival guest. "The board of directors, the staff, we talk a lot about" who the new queen will be each year, Baringer said. A significant portion of that financial impact comes from the festival's annual concert headliners, which for 2023 are country singer Carly Pearce (April 13) and folk rock/Americana act Old Crow Medicine Show (April 14), both at Live Oak Bank Pavilion. Ticket buyers are grouped into four and select their time slots to play (10 a.m. to 11 a.m., 11 a.m. to noon, or noon to 1 p.m.) and complete the course. 1961: Shelly Fabares, teen co-star of TV's Donna Reed Show reigns as queen, the year before her recording "Johnny Angel" becomes a No. submission: { ", Perhaps the first Azalea Festival celebrity was Gov. }. The festival's "invited guests," sometimes called festival celebrities, are Miss North Carolina Karolyn Martin; longtime Wilmington . But now that we have Live Oak Bank Pavilion, that risk isnt there anymore.. Henry Darrow of "The High Chaparral" is a guest celeb and has such a good time that (many years later) he moves to Wilmington. 1988: Tom Jones, Neil Sedaka and Bobby Bare are musical highlights. The queen, Clare Carey, comes from the TV show "Coach," which co-stars former Azalea queen Shelley Fabares. It definitely has more ambiance than a parking lot, Baringer said, so were excited to be back downtown.. Sgt. ", "In the future," Baringer added, the qualities the festival looks for in a queen "might change.". 1999: Country stars Brooks and Dunn and former disco diva Donna Summer bookend the festival, with Tar Heel native Shirley Caesar heading the Variety Show's lineup. Joan Van Ark, in her pre-"Dallas" days, reigns as queen. "We went everywhere - well-chaperoned, of course," she said, from the Fergus Ark to the big dance at Wrightsville Beach's Lumina pavilion. 1958 Azalea Festival celebrities :: Hugh Morton Collection of An Americana band that got its start in the mountains of Boone is headlining Friday An Americana band that got its start in the mountains of Boone is headlining Friday nights show at Live Oak Bank Pavilion. The popular Azalea Festival Parade route stretches for bocks through Brookings. Soap opera stars were celebrities as early as 1961, when John Larkin - who played lawyer Mike Karr on The Edge of Night - came to Wilmington for the festival. 2016 Souvenir Book by North Carolina Azalea Festival - Issuu Radio broadcaster Ted Malone receives a ceremonial key from Wilmington, NC Mayor E.L. White at the 1949 Azalea Festival. The N.C. Azalea Festival, reimagined | WilmingtonBiz A super-friendly guy. Jacqueline White, the first Azalea queen, returns as a special guest. 1985: Phylicia Rashad (appearing as Phylicia Ayers-Allen) of "The Cosby Show" is the first Black Azalea queen. orientation: "portrait", 1996: Julio Iglesias and the Beach Boys are the big musical attractions. Nor is Wheel of Fortune winner Diana Toombs the festival's first game-show celebrity. Tips and comments can be directedinfo@portcitydaily.com. The Beach Boys and Johnny Mathis play Trask Coliseum, while the guest list includes country star Little Jimmy Dickens, Tony Dow ("Wally" from "Leave it to Beaver") and boxing champ James "Bonecrusher" Smith. } 2010: Country rockers Montgomery Gentry and pop rockers Collective Soul ("Shine") were the concert headliners; actress Lindsey Shaw served as queen. What's driving the boom? A new Azalea Festival event combines putt putt, the NFL and charity. The house that Laura Dern lived in onscreen is also featured on the home tour this year (see below). PDF 2021 sponsorship kit - NC Azalea Festival 2004: Festival lovers mourn Henry Rehder, longtime festival volunteer, who dies barely six weeks before festival time. Or was it Champagne and caviar?!" Azalea Festival celebrities at event, with crowd of admirers with cameras. Taking place at Second and Orange streets, the annual spring art sale from the Wilmington Art Association. Hundreds attend Azalea Festival Celebrity Reception - WWAYTV3 } The largest local venue, Trask Coliseum at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, can hold only about 5,000 to 6,000 people, depending on seating arrangements - far fewer than arenas and halls in Raleigh, Fayetteville or Myrtle Beach. Hootie and the Blowfish follow on Friday. History This year, in terms of the queen and invited guests like Wilmington twins Frances (of WECT) and Margaret Weller, festival president Szaloky "wanted to honor folks locally who've given back to the community," she said. 1959 Azalea Festival Queen Debra Paget (right) with another woman in a tiara (Louis Latham in background) at an event associated with the North Carolina Azalea Festival. After a couple of years on downtown Wilmington's Northside due to construction in the central business district, for example, the street fair is back in its traditional home in the heart of downtown this year. Williams has a good time strolling through the Cotton Exchange shopping complex downtown, totally unrecognized. Jack "Blackjack" McDowell, former major league baseball player. Richard and Patti Roberts with their World Action Singers revive a '50s festival tradition of evangelists and religious artists. 2015: Original Queen Azalea Jacqueline White returns to crown Queen Azalea Mallory Hagan, a former Miss America. Thalian Association Community Theater will base its production on the 90s teleplay.The musical takes place April 14-16, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. on Sunday. 1989: Julie McCullough is disinvited as Azalea queen after her past as a Playboy Playmate of the Month is brought the attention of festival organizers. Azalea Festival memories - A View to Hugh - University of North 1966: Cowboy star Tex Ritter, Staff. 2018: Rapper Ludacris, rockers .38 Special and country singer Billy Currington headline concerts. 1958: Esther Williams, Hollywood's "Million Dollar Mermaid," reigns as Azalea queen, alongside two kings: actor John Bromfield as "King of Festivities" and cowboy actor Scott Brady as "King of. In 2000, the festival experimented with an open-air concert at Wilmington's airport, featuring Kool and the Gang, KC and the Sunshine Band and comedian Sinbad. Wilmington's 2022 Azalea Festival announces queen, new concert act for The musical is based on 1957s TV appearance with Julie Andrews, recreated in 1965 with Lesley Ann Warren. It's these types of synergies with such groups as Historic Wilmington and Cucalorus, and even with local musicians, Baringer said, that she hopes will give the Azalea Festival a steady footing with the community as it moves into the future. Azaleas on Tour Porch ParadeVarious locations Free. The Azalea Festival Horse Show at Long Leaf Park (then known as Hugh MacRae Park) draws more than 1,000 spectators. Garden ToursVarious locations Tickets: $50. Wilmington teen George Pocheptsov, known for painting works that were selling for five and six figures by the time he was a teenager, was the official festival artist. We live, work and play right here in the Cape Fear. The parade begins at 9 a.m. Festival bleacher tickets are available for $5 to $8 in advance or $7 to $10 on the day of. Her replacement is Rebeca Arthur of TV's "Perfect Strangers," who carries her toy poodle in her purse wherever she goes. It's that time of year again the shrubs are blooming, the Queen has been selected, and Wilmington is all geared up for the 62nd annual celebration of "all that is Southern" the NC Azalea Festival, which begins this week. Kim Zimmer of "The Guiding Light" is queen. orientation: "portrait", In recent years the festival booked three major concerts annually, and offering up hip-hop and R&B performers such as Nelly, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Jason Derulo and Cypress Hill, in addition to country and rock acts, helped the festival head off criticism that it has not always been sufficiently diverse in its concert bookings. The images in this collection are made available for use in research, private study, and teaching. The beach-themed day party begins on Saturday, February 11 at 12 p.m. at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale. He was just a regular guy, enjoying the festival.". Hugh Morton Collection of Photographs and Films READ MORE: New energy, new music: Old Crow Medicine Show founder discusses latest albums, tour. There will be main viewing areas along 3rd Street, from Market to Bladen streets as local businesses, organizations and community groups, along with marching bands, political leaders, the queen and her court and celebrities parade down the route. Another group the festival partners with, the Historic Wilmington Foundation, which hosts the Azalea Festival Home Tour, is moving into uncharted waters this year by having its tour in the Sunset Park neighborhood for the first time. Azalea Festival announces 76th queen, and she's a Wilmington local number: 3, When: 3-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 3 Where: Greenfield Lake Amphitheater, 1941 Amphitheater Drive, Wilmington Info: Free. "We don't need people like that here.". The event provides sponsors of the Festival a close and personal opportunity to see and meet Queen Azalea, Invited Guests, and other Festival Dignitaries. To have such a historic moment at the local Boys and Girls Brigade Club is a moment that these children, that I have had to honor to spend time with for years now, will never forget. . Don't Miss Out! Get Your Garden Tour Tickets Early - NC Azalea Festival category_id: null, 1955: Queen Sara Shane reigns despite a painful case of poison ivy. I was Formosa - not good for the complexion. On Friday, the festival announced Carli Batson, a Wilmington native, Wilmington resident and former Miss North Carolina, as its 76th Queen Azalea. The guest list includes "Bionic Woman" Lindsay Wagner. It was about that time that Karr's wife, Sarah, died on the show under dastardly circumstances. One event did happen in April: The Azalea Open. One of the people charged with charting the festival's future is Alison Baringer, N.C. Azalea Festival executive director. More than a hundred Azalea . More: From nature trails to a BMX track, here are 5 park upgrades taking shape in 2023. This year's "special guests" include "America's National Teen-ager" Heather Shaw, former boxing champion James "Bonecrusher" Smith (who's been attending Azalea Festivals, off and on, since 1987) and Clifford the Big Red Dog. var field59 = field59 || {}; For many years, the coronation had been scheduled on Saturday night. The Azalea Festival is truly a community event - it takes the work of over a thousand volunteers plus the support of our city and county. Recognize Wilmington 70 years ago? Rarely seen video shows Azalea The event isnt open to the public. 2005: Azalea Queen Kelly Packard from "Baywatch" is crowned on Wednesday, a day earlier than before. CAAMP- 26 - Live at the Innings Festival , Tempe AZ 3/24/2018 1983: Andy Williams headlines a musical festival that also features the Gatlin Brothers and a young unknown named George Strait, who wows 'em at the Variety Show. Travis Tritt's big show is in Trask Coliseum that night. Who Am I?-North Carolina Azalea Festival Edition (Jeopardy! Along with a five-member volunteer board of directors the ladder-style board ensures a new president (this year, Denise Szaloky) each year who's had four years of board experience Baringer and her staff plan the festival, from picking the queen and "invited guests" (aka festival celebrities) to booking the concert entertainment. 2006: "American Idol" star Carrie Underwood opens the Azalea Festival, Patti LaBelle delivers the big finish. The East Carolina University grad is a composer, actress, and singer who has had her. 1959 Azalea Festival Queen Debra Paget (right) and NC Governor Luther H. Hodges talking at an event associated with the North Carolina Azalea Festival in 1959. Aside from a couple of online events, like a "virtual garden party," the festival is effectively canceled due to the pandemic. In order for a party of four to play together, all tickets should be registered under one name. The five-day event kicks off Wednesday, with more than 20 happenings taking place many free thanks to thousands of people that volunteer to make the 76-year-old festival happen. The Azalea Festival celebrated tradition while also . I like to say the festival spirit is always alive and well through the community and volunteerism, Baringer said. More than a hundred Azalea Festival sponsors were treated to lunch at the Cape Fear Country Club, as they met and spoke with the Queen Azalea, her court, and other festival celebrities. North Carolina Azalea Festival - Wikipedia Festival President Wanda Copley doesn't agree with that view. This page is available to subscribers. 1972: Ann B. Davis ("Alice" from "The Brady Bunch") joins a lineup with Demond Wilson of "Sanford and Son," Pat Boone (performing with his whole family) and the New Christy Minstrels. Its open to the public. 1962: "Today Show" announcer Jack Lescoulie is emcee for Azalea Queen Whitney Blake of TV's "Hazel." Also performing are the Judds (in one of their last appearances together) and the Righteous Brothers. Blue VelvetJengos Playhouse, 815 Princess St. Sold Out. Dale Robertson, star of Tales of Wells Fargo, was an Azalea guest in 1957. Hugh Morton played an integral role in the event's founding: while only in his twenties, he was selected to serve as president of the inaugural festival in 1948. 1964: Michael Landon (then "Little Joe" on "Bonanza") and singer Frankie Avalon head the guest list. }, Wilmington-born Broadway performer Anne Hawthorne is still recognized as queen. Gen. Hugh Shelton, a North Carolina native and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, serves as parade marshal and addresses a salute to the nation's military at the Battleship North Carolina Memorial. Here is the rundown of all Azalea Festival events to take place this week, listed in alphabetical order: Airlie Garden PartyAirlie Gardens, 300 Airlie Road. discovery: { 2014: Country star Justin Moore and jam band Widespread Panic headline concerts. Unlike previous years, its a closed event, though festival goers will have plenty of other opportunities to meet Queen Azalea. (Her teen hit, Johnny Angel, would hit No. 1990: Kenny Rogers and Alabama headline a country-flavored festival. DPLA's Statement on Potentially Harmful Content, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina Azalea Festival (Wilmington, N.C.), http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/morton_highlights/id/783. The Battleship North Carolina Memorial inaugurates its long-running sound-and-light show during the festival. Photograph probably taken in Wilmington, during the Azalea Festival. Players also receive a $5 Jungle Rapids arcade card and swag. We'd love to hear from you. The last edition of the Azalea Open Invitational tees off, but hot competition for PGA stars dooms the local golf tournament. Want to read more from PCD? One such emotional change was driven not by the festival directly, but by one of the groups it works with, the Cape Fear Garden Club. Features Robin Wilson (Gin Blossoms) on vocal. "We had all these gifts that people gave us," she added. Wilmington crowns queen of 75th Azalea Festival, followed by - Yahoo The general public has the opportunity to see and sometimes meet and greet Festival VIPs at many events. At the Garden Party, court members all turned out in their strapless gowns with heavily starched petticoats and matching umbrellas. The festival began doing three shows when it would scale its own outdoor concert venue behind the Wilson Center on CFCCs campus in the last decade. Featured will be more than 200 artists and 330 works oils, acrylics, pastels, photography and more. L to R: Diane Jergens, Dale Robertson, and Kathryn Grayson (1957 Azalea Queen, in fur coat). 1981: Festival headliner Bob Hope is solemnly declared an honorary inmate of the New Hanover County jail. The Back Porch Majority and the Four Freshmen sing for the young folk. Photograph probably taken in Wilmington, NC during the Azalea Festival. One way the festival hopes to sustain itself, Baringer said, is by continuing to align itself and partner with various groups in the community. Cherry was rumored to love his toddy, and legend has it that he put the queen's crown on her head upside-down.). A local kid named Charlie Daniels plays the Ocean Plaza Ballroom at Carolina Beach. discovery: { Rehder organized the first Azalea parade, and all the queens posed for their portraits in his azalea garden, with a bouquet he prepared. While the festival has never addressed it publicly, past festivals had decidedly racist overtones. L to R: Diane Jergens, Dale Robertson, and Kathryn Grayson (1957 Azalea Queen, in fur coat). 1948 queen among this year's Azalea Fest celebrities 2011: North Carolina favorites The Avett Brothers play the Azalea Festival for the first time. "It definitely has felt more normal this year," Baringer said during a phone interview. Around the world, the emergence of azalea flowers is celebrated through dedicated festivals. So this event is to thank all of the sponsors who have contributed to the festival, Barringer said. function evvntDiscoveryInit() { Shea Carver is the editor in chief at Port City Daily. 1952: Janet Leigh drops out as Azalea queen, reportedly at the insistence of husband Tony Curtis, and is hastily replaced by actress Cathy Downs, whose husband, actor Joe Kirkwood Jr., happens to be playing in the Azalea Open. The Air Force Thunderbirds fly overhead. All rights reserved. "A big criticism in the past is that they didn't. Queen Ella Raines wears a crown from Harry Winston, reportedly with 1,900 diamonds and 75 rubies. Talk to WWAY's anchors, reporters and meteorologists. "With COVID, it's been helpful to have local people," Baringer said, noting that Huggins was available for festival events that were strung out between April and August in 2021. A sand volleyball tournament is hosted by Olympic medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings and her husband, Casey Jennings, also a professional volleyball player.