A List of Things to Do during Azalea Festival (Port City Daily.com

PortCityDaily.com posted “When are the fireworks? A list of what you can do at this year’s Azalea Festival.

With dozens of events to choose from, we’re here to help you navigate this year’s North Carolina Azalea Festival”

https://portcitydaily.com/local-news/2018/04/11/when-the-fireworks-a-list-of-what-you-can-do-at-this-years-azalea-festival/

By Jamain [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
By Jamain [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

Oakdale Cemetary was the first established in N.C.’s oldest Rural Cemetary Movement

Source: Oakdale Cemetary Gallery http://www.oakdalecemetery.org/gallery/
Source: Oakdale Cemetary Gallery http://www.oakdalecemetery.org/gallery/

Oakdale Cemetery was chartered on December 27, 1852 by the General Assembly of North Carolina. The founders purchased 65 acres for $1,100. The acreage now has grown to about 100 acres of natural beauty. Created during the era of the Rural Cemetery Movement in the US, Oakdale was the first in the state, only fitting for the most populous city in the state at the time. It was five blocks beyond the town boundaries.

Oakdale was part of the Rural Cemetery Movement that swept the US in the mid-Nineteenth Century. Rural cemeteries converted large tracts of land into garden settings. As families purchased lots, they mixed ornamental plants in with the native vegetation, making Oakdale one of the city’s most beautiful spots. The cemetery is resplendent with blooming plants all year around, but especially so in the spring.

The cemetery became known as Oakdale and was North Carolina’s first rural Cemetery. The first burial occurred on February 5, 1855—Annie DeRosset, the six-year old daughter of the cemetery president, Dr. Armand John DeRosset.

Oakdale Cemetery contains the graves of the movers and shakers of Wilmington, NC. The eloquent epitaphs and symbolic funerary art tell stories of those who lie beneath and bring them to life for the living.

Oakdale Cemetary is located at 520 N 15th Street, Wilmington NC 28401

910.762.5682

Cape Fear Roller Girls kick off their season

Cape Fear Roller Girls - CapeFearRollerGirls.com
Cape Fear Roller Girls – CapeFearRollerGirls.com

WECT.com reports that  “The Cape Fear Roller Girls kick off their 2018 season with a home bout against the Carolina Hurticanes.” Source: WECT.com

From their Website’s ‘Press Kit’:

“The Cape Fear Roller Girls are Wilmington’s premier women’s flat track roller derby league. The league is made up of strong, independent women of all ages and from all walks of life. The Cape Fear Roller Girls, founded in 2005 with only a few members, worked diligently to be recognized as a member of the worldwide Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). We earned this coveted honor in 2010. Currently we continue to maintain this distinction with more than thirty members.” Read more about them!

Learn more about Flat-Track Roller Derby…

YWCA announces new business development initiative

YWCA is on a mission logo
YWCA is on a mission logo

 

“The YWCA Lower Cape Fear is proud to announce the unveiling of a new business development initiative, Coastal Women’s Ventures, created in partnership with Carolina Small Business Development Fund. Coastal Women’s Ventures is a collaborative program focused on creating and supporting small business opportunities for women entrepreneurs through business coaching, mentoring, small business education, and connecting participants to loan capital.” Source: YWCA

Azalea Belles – Represent Southern Charm or a “Troublesome tradition?”

Azaleas - Wilmington, N.C.
Azaleas – Wilmington, N.C. 

Seahawk.org posted an interesting article, “The Azalea Belles: Southern charm or troublesome tradition?” about the long traditions and some of the racial overtones that some but not all might notice.

“The Azalea Festival and the Cape Fear Garden Club have held a tradition since 1969 where young girls don Antebellum era attire and assume the roles of the Azalea Belles.

The Belles, who are meant to represent the festival season and flowers, act as hostesses for the Garden Tour and they “enhance the beauty of several activities,” according to the Cape Fear Garden Club’s website.”

Read the article for  a different perspective than you usually see.

 

Cape Fear Botanical Garden in Fayetteville, N.C.

Cape Fear Botanical Garden
Cape Fear Botanical Garden

The Cape Fear Botanical Garden was founded in 1989. The mission of Cape Fear Botanical Garden is to transform people’s relationship with plants and the natural world.

“Cape Fear Botanical Garden offers self-guided and docent-led tours, workshops, special events, weddings, facility rentals, memberships and more!

Come and enjoy 80 acres of natural beauty nestled between the Cape Fear River and Cross Creek – just 2 miles from downtown Fayetteville, NC!
The Garden Gift Shop offers a unique selection of garden accents, nature-related toys, books, artwork, jewelry, hand-crafted gifts and more. Gift Shop Hours: Daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the Gift Shop is free for Garden visitors and the public.

The Garden offers engaging cultural events to inspire and excite, educational activities to energize, and peaceful spots to refresh. Visitors of all ages are welcome.

Flourishing with beautiful specialty gardens and blooming ornamental plants, Cape Fear Botanical Garden’s highlights include Camellia, Daylilly and Shade Gardens, Butterfly Stroll and Children’s Garden, and the Heritage Garden featuring 1886 agricultural structures and a homestead.

Host to any special occasion, our lovely and world class Wyatt Visitors Pavilion Complex is the perfect complement to our Garden and the venue for weddings, business and military functions, workshops and more.

Stroll along our scenic river trail with water views, take in a guided tour, relax on our patio overlooking the Cypress Pond, and take home the perfect gift from our destination Gift Shop.”

Located at 536 N Eastern Blvd, Fayetteville, North Carolina

Phone – (910) 486-0221

Click here for the Cape Fear Botanical Garden Website.

Like them on Facebook!

Follow them on Instagram!

Follow them on Twitter!

Downtown Sundown Concert Series

Downtown Sundown Concert Series
Downtown Sundown Concert Series enters 13th season in 2018 

ILM citizens always look forward to this summertime concert series! Here is information on last year’s event from ‘Wilmington Downtown Incorporated’:

“Wilmington’s signature summertime concert series returns for its 12th season at Riverfront Park in front of the Federal Courthouse.  The Downtown Sundown Concert Series will run each Friday night from May 26 through September 1, 2017.  The free concerts are from 6:30 to 10pm and feature both local performers and touring bands.  Wilmington Downtown Incorporated (WDI) is the concert producer.

The Downtown Sundown Concert Series is a free, family friendly event that attracts both local residents and out of town visitors.  The concerts are designed to provide interesting and fun entertainment for attendees, spur interest and activity to Downtown during the early evening hours and to raise funds for WDI’s downtown development programs.  Last year, over 26,000 people attended the concerts.

The ‘Downtown Sundown Concert Series’ is offering a local Wilmington charity the opportunity to make some serious money (a split of the proceeds from wristbands sold during the series).

THEY NEED YOU TO HELP CHOOSE THE CHARITY!

Click here to cast your vote!
(Please note, there is only one vote per device and email.)
Voting ends at 5 PM on Wednesday, March 21.

Here is the announcement –
Cast your vote to support 
local charities!
 
As a way to involve local residents and help support other community organizations, WDI partners with area nonprofits to split the proceeds fromwristbands sold each week during the Downtown Sundown Concert series.
For the 2018 season, WDI received forty-one applications for 15 possible dates.  To select the final group, WDI is hosting a vote for area residents to select their favorite charity.  The nine organizations with the most votes will be automatically selected to sell wristbands during the upcoming series that starts on May 25.  The remaining organizations will be selected by a review committee.  Only one vote per email and device.    Use this link to learn about the organizations vying for your support.
Click here to cast your vote!
(Please note, there is only one vote per device and email.)
Voting ends at 5 PM on Wednesday, March 21.
While the Downtown Sundown Concert is a free event, a different local charity and WDI sell $1 wristbands to attendees who are 21 and older and want to enjoy beer or wine at a show.  Last year, WDI contributed approximately $10,700 to area nonprofits through the wristband program.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2018Downtownsundowncharitywristband

CAPE FEAR VOLUNTEER CENTER and BIG BUDDY YOUNG PROFESSIONALS BOARD would love for you to vote for them – Check out their video!