Town of Wilmington

Historic Wilmington and North Carolina's Cape Fear Coast beckon visitors with a year-round with a historic riverfront town and the island communities of Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach.

Choose your favorite season and here you"ll find the ideal vacation or weekend getaway.  If it's been a while since your last visit, you'll be amazed at the wide array of new restaurants, quaint antique shops, hip art galleries, unique specialty shops and chic shopping villages.  You'll also find accommodations ranging from historic bed-and-breakfast inns to riverfront or oceanfront luxury hotels and resorts, as well as budget-friendly properties.  Package deals are available to suit every budget and there's always plenty to see and do at reasonably priced museums, family-friendly attractions, festivals, parks and gardens, arts/cultural events, cruises, and tours.  

Winter is the perfect time to explore the region's treasures at a more leisurely pace and at more reasonable rates.  The holidays shine with an assortment of coastal traditions: lighted boat flotillas, parades, fireworks, candlelight tours, carolling by horse-drawn carriage, and New Year's Eve cruises.  The North Carolina Holiday Flotilla (www.ncholidayflotilla.org) kicked off the season the Saturday following Thanksgiving, followed by the Island of Lights Holiday Flotilla and Nighttime Parade (www.islandoflights.org) during the first weekend of December.  Other holiday events include the Festival of Trees, Colonial Christmas Celebration, Enchanted Airlie (www.airliegardens.org), Old Wilmington by Candlelight Tour and the lighting of the Worlds Largest Living Christmas Tree.

Start the New Year off with a New Year's Eve Riverboat Cruise down the Cape Fear River or at a Countdown Party & Fireworks Display at Carolina Beach Boardwalk.  Seeking a sweetheart getaway?  February's Valentine's Day packages and events include the N.C. Jazz Festival, the Wilmington Garden Show, sweetheart-theme carriage tours and riverboat cruises, concerts and theatrical productions.

Spring bursts with color as millions of dazzling azaleas, dogwoods and daffodils make their perennial debuts.  Spring festivals include the Cine Noir Film Festival (March), N.C. Azalea Festival (April), Pleasure Island Chowder Cook-off (April), the Airlie Arts Festival (May), Battleship North Carolinas Memorial Day Observance (May), Beach Blast Music Festival (May), and dozens more.  Not to mention fantastic outdoor recreation such as golf, fishing, kayaking, surfing, beach volleyball, sailing, canoeing and more!  And be sure to check out the Venus Flytrap Trail at Carolina Beach State Park.  These rare carnivorous plants that bloom in the spring grow in the wild only within a 75-100 mile radius of Wilmington.

Summer brings sun, surf and sand for beachcombers exploring the Cape Fear Coast's 31 miles of island beaches.  Downtown Wilmington's 200 shops and restaurants welcome visitors to the historic Cape Fear riverfront. Summer festivals include the Orange Street Artsfest (May), Shakespeare on the Green Festival (June), Cape Fear Blues Festival (July), Battleship Blast: July 4^th Fireworks (July), Lumina Daze (August), Castles & Scoops (August), Flavor of the Past (August), and Art & Antique Walk (September).

Fall brings festivals, fairs and fabulous fishing!  Autumn is ideal for leisurely walking tours, hikes, festivals and outdoor recreation.  More than a dozen Halloween events include a nightly Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington (year-round), History-Mystery Tour, Horse-drawn Carriage Halloween Tours, Halloween Festival, Scarecrow Festival (October) and haunted houses. Other October festivals include Riverfest, Pleasure Island Seafood, Blues & Jazz Festival, and Battleship Alive.  In November, there's the Cape Fear Fair & Expo, Celebrate the Arts!, Festival Latino, Bluegrass Festival, Cucalorus Film Festival, fishing and golf tournaments.