Downtown Wilmington this weekend will carry streams of bobbing heads for the N.C. Azalea Festival, an annual celebration lively with street vendors, entertainment and–most notably–a four-hour Saturday morning parade of floats, marching bands and southern belles along Third Street.
“More than 200,000 are estimated to attend the annual two-day street fair, while more than 100,000 gather to watch the festival parade,” organizers boast.
Where to park?
While public, on-street parking will be limited in the immediate downtown area of Wilmington per festival activities, such marked spaces will be free where available as of 5 p.m. Friday and through the remainder of the Azalea Fest weekend.
Parking decks will be open for a fee.
According to the City of Wilmington, the public decks downtown–on Second Street between Chestnut and Princess streets; at the intersection of Market and Second streets; and the county-owned deck next to the library at Third and Chestnut–will cost $7 to enter starting 9 p.m. Friday.
But the decks will not be accessible Saturday 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. in light of the parade.
The Water Street Parking Deck will be closed for parking altogether during the festival.
Parking will cost $5 in the city lot next to the Community Arts Center at 120 S. Second St., between Orange and Dock streets.
A bulletin from the city adds: “Several privately-owned parking lots and decks are operated within the city and are not free to the general public. The city has taken every measure to make sure that the lots are adequately marked with signage, so be aware before you park.”
The Azalea Festival’s official website (link) lists numerous additional parking options, including the Cape Fear Community College decks on Nutt and Hanover streets, respectively (map).
It also suggests routes for individual events, including the street fair, concerts and Saturday parade.
Or, ‘avoid frustration’ with shuttle
Parade-goers will also have the option of a shuttle to downtown.
Wave Transit, the area’s public transportation provider, plans to avail express shuttles from Independence Mall (the expanse near the intersection of Oleander Drive and Independence Boulevard in Wilmington) to the downtown parade. (Click here for map)
The shuttles will be in operation Saturday 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
Parking at the mall, in the area behind Firehouse Subs and the Wells Fargo Bank off Oleander Drive, will be free. The shuttle ride will cost $2 per person each way, though children under the age of 5 can ride free with a fare-paying adult.
“Passengers who utilize the express shuttle service will avoid the frustration of finding a parking space downtown for the parade and other festival events,” Wave pitched.
The first bus will leave the mall at 7 a.m. Saturday bound for the intersection of Second and Dock streets downtown. Wave says the shuttles will operate on 10-minute intervals.
The last shuttle will leave downtown at 1:30 p.m. to return to the mall, but patrons who want to stay downtown later will be able to use their express-shuttle ticket to ride a Wave bus back to the mall from the bus stop at Second and Princess streets downtown.
Click here for more information about Wave Transit and its routes.
Click here for general Azalea Festival information.
Other Azalea Festival news from Port City Daily is viewable here.
