I've lived in North Carolina almost my entire life and I've heard about the North Carolina Azalea Festival every year. Honestly, I usually thought, "Whatever - azaleas- I've got them in my own yard. Why would I want to drive to Wilmington to see more?" But this year I was invited to attend the shindig and I got to see what all the fuss is about. The 5 day event that took place last weekend (April 6-10) is more than a celebration of the beautiful azaleas that are in full bloom on the Southeastern coast of North Carolina, it's a celebration of the whole city of Wilmington, Southern history and well, the South.

The festival starts with the crowning of the queen, which this year Queen Azalea is Heather French Henry, former Miss America 2000. Then the festivities don't seem to stop. Concerts (some require tickets, others are free), garden tours, home tours, shag contests, coins show, juried art show, an amazing street fair on Saturday and Sunday, the ultimate in pageantry with a three hour parade, and private parties and after parties galore.

It seems the whole city participates in some way. The garden tours and home tours are organized by separate civic organizations and coordinate beautifully with The Azalea Festival. Even the circus was in town for the big weekend.

Two private (invitation only) parties I was lucky enough to attend were the Azalea Festival Luncheon and Garden Party on Friday afternoon at Airlie Gardens in Wilmington and the Patrons' Gala Saturday night held at the beautiful new Wilmington Convention Center. The garden party was a blast. Lots of food and drink and the outfits, oh my! Some gentlemen had the full Southern suit of seersucker and straw hats, others (like my date) opted for a more "subtle" look of just seersucker pants or jacket. But bow ties looked as if they were required. I haven't seen so many bowties since my days at UNC-CH and the frat party weekends. For the ladies, elegant sundresses were de rigeure. Many women sported hats, a la Derby Day, I could only bring myself to wear a funky headband. The food was classic South: Barbecue. Bill Ellis Barbecue from Wilson, NC provided the full spread with boiled potatoes, Brunswick Stew, slaw, hush puppies, corn sticks, green beans, fried chicken and of course, some of the best Eastern NC style Barbecue made. (I marvel at the way they serve delicious barbecue to huge crowds for hours at the time, all in the middle of a garden.)

The Patron's Gala was Saturday night at the beautiful new Wilmington Convention Center right on the riverfront. I feel as if I have been to a hundred of these type functions, and they all run together. Let's face it, big crowd catering at a convention center is not what you'd normally classify as really good food. But this was awesome. The most impressive part was a delicious risotto bar. Creamy, perfectly al dente risotto was served alongside any type of topping (or stir-in) you'd like to have. The self-serve buffet was the perfect venue for the creative "bar" food and kept the line for food moving all night. Of course there was the requisite cheeses and fruits and veggies, decoratively arranged in bowls and platters that overflowed onto the tables. Then there was the "meat." My goodness, beef tenderloin skewered on rosemary sprigs and wooden picks, shrimp and delicious lamb chops. It truly was a "buffet" like I have never experienced. Just like the food that never ran out, the band, never stopped playing, so the dancing went on and on. One guest said, this always is the best of parties, and I do believe he is right. It is the perfect ending to celebrate a successful festival for all those involved. As far as fashion watching, I couldn't get enough. And Queen Heather changed her gowns several times during the night. I thought she might rival Reba Mcetyre for costume changes, but she stopped at only two or three... After experiencing the weekend of festivities, I certainly understand why people travel from all up and down the eastern coast to attend the North Carolina Azalea Festival. If you're near the coast next spring, be sure not to miss it, I have a feeling the bar has been set very high with the 64th and next year's 65th Annual North Carolina Azalea Festival is already preparing for a blow-out year.