Hello! I am Minh Vu, your 2024 Azalea Festival Princess! Here’s what I have been up to during my first month:
When I was crowned, the moment was surreal. I felt overjoyed and overwhelmed, but overall, so ecstatic. The pageant experience was amazing as it created a comfortable atmosphere for everyone to learn and grow. I’m so excited now that I get to be with these 4 sensational girls on my court, Callie Cromartie, Emmy Russ, Mary Katherine O’Malley, and Kiley Canter.
We had our first meeting with Mrs. Kande, Mrs. Amy, and Mrs. Mandy about what to expect throughout the year and the fun events planned. I took my Princess Portrait in my lovely gown from Camille’s and had super yummy sweet treats from Mrs. Mandy.
Then the next day, we all made our first official public appearance as the Princess and Court at the Azalea Festival Committee Meeting! We greeted them at the entrance and introduced ourselves at the start. I was really nervous but everything went well and it felt like an official start to my role.
The Youth Art & Writing Contest Reception was so fun! It was my first time at Bluewater Grill and I highly recommend going. The food was so good and the kids were so sweet. The artwork was impressive and unreal. I couldn’t believe my eyes when the awards were presented and I got to see how young the artists really were. Their dedication inspires me and I hope one day, I can move others as much as their art did.
The legislative building trip in Raleigh was fun with my girls! The car ride there was full of talking and laughing. We each made social media stories for vlogging our experience with the Azalea Festival. Once we got there, there were lots of schools on field trips also and it was a moment I never forgot; all the kids were staring at my crown and whispering about how I was a princess. It was like a dream come true and another reality check that this is who I am now. Inside, it was lovely with the water and nature displays, and many photos were taken. I met members of the Filipino-American Association from Wilmington and it was awesome! They had brought a hand-made structure of a native plant from the Philippines to give to one of the representatives. It was so sweet and made me feel a lot of pride for others showing their pride for their culture. I visited both the Senate and House chambers and I thought it was cool that many had little donkey or elephant figurines on their desks. After the visit, we went to Taco Bell for a quick lunch break and headed home. I was exhausted after a full day of traveling but it made me feel excited about the new experience to come in a week!Â
That weekend, I had back-to-back art events! First was the Youth Art Contest Gallery Opening which gave me a second chance to meet all the young artists once again and appreciate their work. Second was the Wilmington Art Association Juried Art Show & Sale! Both events were held at Hannah Block, thank you for hosting! Thank you to Camille’s of Wilmington who lent me a beautiful, glittery pink dress and matching earrings. I had a lot of fun looking at all the art and meeting the creators behind them. It took me a while to choose which piece to give the Princess Award to because there were so many impressive and beautiful ones. I finally landed on one that spoke to me a lot called “Drowning in Azaleas” by Jeanne May. It depicted a girl with azaleas around her that looked to be bleeding. Fortunately, I had a chance to talk with the artist about her inspiration behind the painting. She said she wanted to draw attention to our world’s climate crisis, which I also believe to be very important. I thought the message was so meaningful to share and I wanted to do the same as her and spread awareness about climate change by picking her piece.Â
For the last event in March, my court and I gathered at Legion Stadium to participate in the 2024 Azalea Sweep! The Azalea Sweep is meant to help clean our community to prepare for the Azalea Festival! We picked up trash, got matching T-shirts, and had a good time. I encourage everyone to participate next year as well!
One special last thank you to Camille’s and Lilly Pulitzer for helping me prepare my wardrobe for the busy week ahead. I loved trying on so many dresses and feel happy with my final choices.
