Azalea Festival Garden Tour: What to know about the gardens and tickets

Cheryl M. Whitaker, Wilmington StarNews
·2 min read
The Azalea Garden Tour will be held April 5-7.
The Azalea Garden Tour will be held April 5-7.

The Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Garden Tour, a leisurely self-guided tour of 13 gardens, will be held Friday, April 5 to Sunday, April 7.

Here's what to know.

What's happening?

This year's tour will offer a ribbon cutting and Queen's garden party to be held Friday at 9:30 a.m. at Cameron Art Museum, 3201 S. 17th St. The Garden Club's famous homemade cookies and other light refreshments will be served following the ceremony. Raffle tickets will be sold at the trolley stop at Harbor Way Gardens in Wrightsville Beach. You can catch a trolley ride to see the Secret Gardens on tour. To see the gardens, please visit https://www.azaleagardentour.com/.

The gardens

The Azalea Garden Tour will be held April 5-7.
The Azalea Garden Tour will be held April 5-7.

Many of the gardens on tour remain a secret. The known ones are at Airlie Gardens (at 300 Airlie Road), 213 Cavalier Drive, 1802 Hawthorne Road, 2076 Harrison St. and 242 Northern Blvd.

There will be a "Tabletops and More" exhibit. Many gardens throughout the tour will feature floral displays and helpful decorating ideas. The Azalea Ambassadors ― sophomores, juniors and seniors from New Hanover and Pender counties -- will meet and greet guests at each garden.

Sixteen artists will be painting in the gardens all weekend and their work will be available for purchase on Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Garden #9, 1802 Hawthorne Road. A portion of the sales will benefit the charitable programs and grants of the Cape Fear Garden Club.

Where to purchase tickets?

The Azalea Garden Tour will be held April 5-7.
The Azalea Garden Tour will be held April 5-7.

Tickets are $50 each and can be purchased only with cash or check at 16 local vendors:

  • A Proper Garden, 2 Ann St.

  • All in Bloom –1200 N. Howe St., Southport

  • Azalea Festival ticket office, 5725 Oleander Drive

  • Barnes & Noble, 850 Inspiration Drive (Mayfaire)

  • Crabby Chic, 5815 Oleander Drive

  • Craft Hardware, 7002 Wrightsville Ave.

  • Farmer’s Supply, 2025 Oleander Drive

  • New Hanover County Arboretum, 6206 Oleander Drive

  • Pender Pines Garden Center, 20949 U.S. 17, Hampstead

  • Porch and Nest, 10250 U.S. 17 North, Wilmington

  • Ricky Evans Art Gallery, 211 N. Howe St., Southport

  • Spruced, Barclay Commons, 2516 Independence Blvd.

  • Stone Garden, 5726 Market St.

  • Sweet Nectar Florist, 324 Village Road, Leland

  • Wild Bird & Garden, 3501 Oleander Drive

  • Wrigglesworth Ace Hardware, 3516 S. College Road

Tickets are also available at the gardens beginning Friday, April 5. Ages 12 and under are free with an adult ticketholder.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: What to know about Azalea Festival Garden Tour in Wilmington, NC