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The traditional annual event has been postponed this year until July 30.
“But we didn’t want to wait that long to celebrate spring in our area,” said Alison Baringer English, executive director of the festival. “That’s a big part of what the Azalea Festival is about.”
So instead, the Hamerskis and dozens of garden party enthusiasts signed up to host their own smaller gatherings and get dressed in their finest party wear and enjoy the local natural beauty.
That’s what the couple did. They haven’t spent much time entertaining this past year, but Carter did pick up gardening as a pandemic hobby so she was showing guests some of her handiwork and a new garden shed built with the help of her father.
That economic impact has certainly increased in recent years, said Alison Baringer English, executive director of the North Carolina Azalea Festival.
When the study was completed in 2011, organizers were still holding concerts at UNCW s Trask Coliseum and didn t sell concessions. Concerts moved outside in 2013, allowing nearly three times the attendance.
In recent years, the festival has been able to attract more well-known artists and started selling alcohol and concessions, which raise revenue.
It s difficult to tell just how much the Azalea Festival contributes to local tourism because festivals - unlike conventions - have no central booking mechanisms and many of the events don t require tickets, according to Connie Nelson, the communications director at the Wilmington and Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau.
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