63rd Annual NC Azalea Festival

The 63rd Annual North Carolina Azalea Festival will be held April 7-11, 2010 in nearby Wilmington, NC (just 40 minutes from The Winds). The Festival is a celebration of Wilmington’s exceptional artwork, gardens, rich history and culture during its five days of entertainment that includes: a parade, street fair, circus, concerts, pageantry, and all that is Southern.

Since its inception in 1948, the Festival has blossomed into an extended weekend celebration that attracts more than 300,000 people.

For more than 50 years, the folks of Southeastern North Carolina have been throwing the best party in the South and you’re invited! There’s something for everyone among the area’s rich array of artwork, gardens, history and culture.

This year’s concert headliners are the Goo Goo Dolls with Collective Soul on Thursday, April 8th, at Trask Coliseum, UNCW 8:00 PM

Since forming in 1986 the Goo Goo Dolls have evolved from a punk-inspired trio to the platinum-selling, chart-topping act behind such radio staples as “Name,” “Slide,” and “Here is Gone.”

Their song, “Iris” from the City of Angels soundtrack propelled the group to stardom as the hit stayed on top of the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay charts for a record-breaking 18 weeks, and was nominated for three Grammy’s that year.

——————————————————

Collective Soul gained a special place in the hearts of music lovers.

They burst onto the scene in 1993 with the rock anthem “Shine” and have been making music for nearly 2 decades since then.

“Tremble for My Beloved” found them on the soundtrack to one of the hottest movies of 2008, Twilight.

A multi-platinum band with a catalog of #1 hit singles, Collective Soul will open the Thursday night concert.
——————————————————

On Friday April 9th, country megastars Montgomery Gentry will also headline at Trask Coliseum, UNCW at 8:00 PM

Montgomery Gentry’s journey into the front ranks of American music has been one of the most gratifying sagas of the past decade.

Their road to gold and platinum albums, CMA and ACM awards, a Grammy nomination and highly successful tours has been paved with musical integrity and with an abiding respect for the people and the genre they represent.

Spend An Unforgettable Day!

Come to the beach and take in some history at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson Historic Site and Orton Plantation. Read more

Orton Plantation 100th Anniversary

Orton Plantation, which opens for the 2010 season Read more

A Ghostly Battleship!

The Battleship North Carolina Memorial was the site of paranormal activity Read more

Pirate Captured In Southport!

The pirate Stede Bonnet was captured at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, right by the nearby town of Southport, NC. He was taken to Charleston, SC and hung along with his crew! Read more

Wilmywood

It has been 25 years since ‘Firestarter’ changed Wilmington. Back in 1984 when Drew Barrymore starred as a girl who started fires with her mental powers, a USA Today film critic commented that the movie had “gaping plot holes” and “a parade of badly directed performances.” The film wasn’t a top contender for an Oscar.  But for this area, and perhaps all of North Carolina, “Firestarter,”  was a history changing movie. Firestarter was not a huge critical or commercial success but the money saved on the location made an impression on its studio.

Back then in 1983, the population of Wilmington was less than 44,000 and the idea of making a movie here was pretty much unheard of. When filming began the curious local population showed up en mass on the location shoots to find out what the fuss was all about.

Back then no one here really knew what a key grip, gaffer or best boy was. How different it all is now just 25 years later!

These days Wilmington has a host of puesdonims like Hollywood East and Wilmywood and the list of  television and feature films shot here numbers over 325.

Nowadays in Wilmington, you’ll be hard pressed to walk up to any local on the street who hasn’t either been in a movie, doesn’t know someone who has or hasn’t had the film industry touch their life in some way.

In the years since “Firestarter,” we have gained a top notch film studio, EUE/Screen Gems, which bought the facility from Carolco Studios (originally Dino DeLaurentiis’ old DEG Studios property). This studio is the largest east of California – and growing. In late May, “Dream Stage 10” will open here with a  size  of 37,500-square-foot. This will be the third largest soundstage in the country housing the largest and deepest special effects water tank in all of North America.

Some of the feature films and TV series shot in the Wilmington area include: Blue Velvet, The Butcher’s Wife, The Crow, Dawson’s Creek, Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Empire Records, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Matlock, One Tree Hill. Sleeping With The Enemy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Road To Wellville, The Secret Life Of Bees, Weeds, Crimes of The Heart, Weekend at Bernies, Amos and Andrew, Domestic Disturbance and A Walk To Remember.

Current running and upcoming Tv series being shot here include: Eastbound & Down (HBO), Little Brittain USA (HBO) and Provinces of Night starring Hilary Duff

Coastal Living’s Dream Town

In its May issue, Wilmington is among Coastal Living’s “18 Dream Towns,” Read more

Wilmington Native is Miss USA

Twenty Two year-old Kristen Dalton took the top spot at the 58th Annual Miss USA competition Sunday night. She is currently the reigning Miss N.C. USA, and was formerly Miss Greater Wilmington 2006.

Kristen’s mother Jennie Dalton served as Miss N.C. USA in 1982 and her sister Julia Dalton was Miss N.C. Teen USA in 2008 and second runner-up in the Miss Teen USA pageant.

Contestants from all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia were judged for their performance in a swimsuit and evening gown modeling contest and their answers to a question asked onstage. The show, broadcast live from the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino was aired on NBC, at 7 p.m.

The former Miss USA 2008, 27-year-old Texan Crystle Stewart was dethroned by Dalton.

With the title Dalton will get one year’s use of a New York apartment, her own public relations team, an undisclosed salary and a two-year scholarship at the New York Film Academy.

In August she will travel to the Bahamas to compete in the Miss Universe pageant. American contestants haven’t had much luck in the Miss Universe competition in recent years.

Area Winery Wins Medals

An award winning winery at Ocean Isle Beach? Its true and the awards keep coming! Read more