This past weekend, I had the privilege of representing Wilmington by doing quite a bit of traveling. My first stop was a little mountain town about 6 hours away, called Bakersville. This small town hosts the Rhododendron Festival each year, and this was the 69th year of the festival.The festival kicked off Friday evening with the opening night of the Rhododendron Pageant. After the pageant, there was a huge street dance. Everyone changed into casual clothes, and hit the street for some square dancing!
Once we were there, I realized that I had no clue how to square dance. Lucky for me, everyone was super helpful and I eventually caught on. I had a lot of fun, and got to meet some new friends. This was definitely a night to remember! It was also a great opportunity to tell others how beautiful our town and beaches are, and to spread the word about the North Carolina Azalea Festival.
The next morning there was a breakfast for all the visiting queens, and it was incredible to see all of the beautiful mountain scenery in the daylight.
After breakfast, I headed to Raleigh for the Miss North Carolina Pageant. I was able to watch both the Outstanding Teen and Miss pageants. Being able to see these in person was an amazing experience! Even better, I got to see one of my good friends, Kenzie Hansley, crowned as the 2015 Miss North Carolina’s Outstanding Teen. I was also thrilled that the new Miss North Carolina, Kate Peacock, had come to our Azalea Festival this past year as a part of the Queen’s Court! I had the honor of giving her the official invitation for the 2016 North Carolina Azalea Festival, and Kate assured me that she would be attending!
This weekend was filled with new experiences and making new friendships, and it is definitely one that I will never forget!
