Come enjoy our festivals

"Life is truly a celebration here in Cape Fear Country with a party honoring just about every facet – a church, a flower, a house, a tree, a river and a fish – just to name a few. And we don’t just party alone – every year we share our fun and enjoyment of life with thousands of visitors and hosts of celebrities."

Wilmington, N.C.
A Guide to Cape Fear Leisure
1983

True words in 1983. True words today. We love a good party. While some of the celebrations held 25 years ago aren’t around anymore, several have endured and grown, such as the Azalea Festival, Riverfest and Old Wilmington by Candlelight. Let’s look back for a minute to see what other festive events Wilmingtonians enjoyed then.

That year, the second annual St. Thomas Celebration of the Arts was held in February. Ten days of music, theater and dance included 25 concerts and performances, a regional fine arts competition for North Carolina artists, a children’s art show and an architectural tour of three historic buildings. The highlight was Benny Goodman and his sextet.

Proceeds were to be used for the renovation of the circa 1845 St. Thomas Church at 208 Dock Street to convert it to a full-scale community arts complex with 250-seat theater, classrooms and offices for the Arts Council of the Lower Cape Fear, Inc. This celebration is no longer held. Now the building is known as St. Thomas Preservation Hall, currently a venue for weddings, film screenings and other events.

One very special celebration was the May Fair held at the Governor Dudley Mansion on South Front Street. This two-day event featured homemade crafts, attic treasures, plants, artwork, children’s games, a country store, entertainment and refreshments.

Celebrating The Spot

A popular celebration in 1983 was the Spot Festival honoring - what else? A fish. Begun in 1963 and continuing to this day, the event included three days of entertainment, arts and crafts, and of course, fish dinners. In subsequent years, the festival became a two-day affair.

Festivals Abound

The Wilmington area continues to be blessed with many celebrations, so many in fact, that sometimes it seems like our festivals have festivals. With such an abundance, we have room to highlight only the current major festivals and make mention of some of the rest.