The Azalea Garden Tour Committee opened the 71st Garden Tour with the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at Cameron Art Museum (CAM), attended by the Azalea Festival Queen and her court in the 
beautifully decorated courtyard at CAM. Homemade cookies and bottled water was served to all the attendees. There were eleven gardens on the tour. The theme was “Beyond the Garden Gate”. Six of those gardens were “Secret Gardens”. Trolleys were available at Harbor Way Gardens for four of these gardens. The gardens represented a variety of neighborhoods such as Summer Haven, a historic neighborhood located near the Intracoastal Water Way, a patio home community with very small lots and a community near the Cape Fear River that was established during World War II for families that were employed at the shipyard. The Ambassador Program continues to grow with repeat students and additional male interest. ‘Tabletops and More’ is a great addition to the garden tour and was enjoyed by our visitors. Plein air artists painting in each garden added visual interest to each location. On Sunday, an Art Sale was held in one of the gardens and a percentage was donated back to the tour.
Total Tour proceeds were $122,737.78 and net proceeds came in at $87,570.51.
Thank you to all committee members, club members, garden owners, sponsors and artists that made this year’s Azalea Garden Tour a success.