WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) - The annual North Carolina Azalea Festival is going on as planned in Wilmington this year, regardless of what the flowers themselves have to do about it.
The StarNews of Wilmington reports that an unusually warm and dry winter has meant plenty of flowers are already in bloom, including some varieties of azalea.
That worries people like Karen Smith, chairwoman of the Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Garden Tour. The festival doesn't start until April 11.
It's a major economic boost for the region, with a University of North Carolina Wilmington study last year estimating it's worth about $50 million in spending.
Festival President Charles Kays says the event will go on regardless of what Mother Nature does.
