Invited Guests
77th Azalea Festival
Elle Graham
Elle Graham is best known for her role as “Nancy Wheeler” in the feature film ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET based on Judy Blume’s beloved book, and “Savannah” in Disney’s mystery-adventure series SECRETS OF SULPHUR SPRINGS.
Gracie Gold
Gracie Gold is a two-time national figure skating champion who represented the United States at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, where she won a bronze in the team event and finished fourth in the women’s singles competition, the highest showing among Americans.
Taylor Loyd
Taylor Loyd, Miss North Carolina 2023, is a student at UNC-Chapel Hill studying Psychology and Music. At the Miss America 2024 Competition, she was a Top Ten Finalist and Talent Winner, and has earned over $35,000 in scholarships since beginning her involvement as a teen.
Admiral Karl L. Schultz
Schultz is a retired 4-Star Admiral who last served as the 26th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard. His tenure as a flag officer spanned 12 years, and prior to becoming Service Chief, served as the 3-Star Atlantic Area Commander responsible for Coast Guard mission execution from the Rocky Mountains east to the Arabian Gulf.
Jennifer Vickery Smith
Jennifer Vickery Smith hosts the popular “Got it From My Momma” podcast, where she shares conversations with mothers of famous entertainers and athletes about family, faith, and fame. Jennifer is the mother of country music artist Connor Smith and works as a reporter, anchor, producer, and print journalist in both entertainment and broadcast news.
Sharon Jones
Sharon Jones is the 2024 Official Artist of the North Carolina Azalea Festival. A native of eastern North Carolina, oil painter Sharon pays homage to both our rural and coastal areas with her colorful paintings. Shore birds, tobacco barns, historic homes, landscapes, and pet portraits are brought to life with strong composition and color.
2025 Queen's Court
Ashtyn Thomas
Miss Zebulon
Grayson Johnson
Miss Johnston County
Lauryn Mallard
Miss Caldwell County
Maura Westbrook
Miss Garner
Sophia Kellstrom
Miss Davidson County
Tisha Abdul
Miss Orange County
Tori Gross
Miss Moore County
Hailey Hudson
Miss Chapel Hill
2025 Keydet Escorts
Max Cullen
Terrell Jackson
Heaton Lawrence
Gibson Maul
Morgan McPhaul
David Pedigo
Owen Ham
Marshall Taylor
Guests to Note
Each year the Azalea Festival highlights a few individuals as Official Invited Guests.
Stars, celebrities, and heroes alike – from afar and right here locally – are honored during Festival events.
The Festival has hosted the following notable guests (this is just a small sampling!):
Barbara Alyn Woods, Kevin Frazier, President Ronald Reagan, Adrian Wood
Also…Michael Jordan, Kerri Walsh Jennings, Chad Michael Murray, Hilarie Burton, and more!
