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Announcing Azalea Festival Royalty and Invited Guests

76th Queen Azalea - Carli Batson

Carli holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Theatre Arts from Appalachian State University where she also served as Co-Capitan of their Dance Team. Carli attributes her debt-free education to the scholarship opportunities provided by the Azalea Festival Scholarship Pageant, Miss North Carolina and Miss America organizations where she had held the titles of Miss Wilmington, Miss Greater Sampson County, Miss Cleveland, and ultimately, Miss North Carolina 2021. She competed at the 100th Anniversary Miss America Competition where she advocated for performing arts communities with her social impact initiative, Carolina Cares. She raised over $30,000 for community arts programs across North Carolina & beyond!

She is currently living in Wilmington, where she is on staff at American Leadership Academy- Coastal, onstage at Thalian Hall, and loving her new fur-baby, Gus. She is thrilled to be back celebrating the 76th Azalea Festival which is near and dear to her heart. As a third generation Wilmingtonian, she has served on the Azalea Festival Youth Committee, Princess Court, Queen’s Court, was an Invited Guest as Miss NC, and now Azalea Queen. From a little girl watching the Parade street side, to participating in an array of NCAF events, Carli is embracing this full circle moment as your Queen Azalea and is honored to represent the Festival’s history & future!

North Carolina Azalea Festival Princess - Avery Braithwaite

Avery Braithwaite, a junior from John T. Hoggard High School, was crowned the 2023 North Carolina Azalea Festival Princess during the 75th Annual North Carolina Azalea Festival Scholarship Pageant on Saturday, March 4th. At Hoggard, Avery is Vice-President of the Junior Class, Executive Officer of the Youth Climate Action Coalition and Recruitment Coordinator for the Azalea Festival Youth Committee. She is also a member of the National Honor Society, Give Global, Mock Trial, and Youth and Government. Outside of school, she enjoys singing in the Girls’ Choir of Wilmington, playing the piano, and spending time with her family. In the future, she wants to do something in the legal field, with a focus in public policy and politics.

Azalea Festival Princess and Court: Gracie Rogers, Johana Acosta-Castillo, Princess Avery Braithwaite, Emory Radford, Madison Joy.

Azalea Festival Queen's Court

Anna Claire Musick - Miss Metrolina

Elizabeth O'Brien - Miss Central Carolina

Jordan Garrick - Miss Piedmont

Tori Gross - Miss Randolph County

Taylor Loyd - Miss Statesville

Kate White - Miss Thomasville

Hannah Wellborn-Lewis - Miss Sandhills

Rachel Townsend - Miss Fayetteville

Keydet Escorts

Garrett Petruski

Jack Mion

Joseph Egbo

Nick Cabell

Peyton Simpson

Thomas Champion

Sam McCrary

Thomas Marlow

Miss North Carolina - Karolyn Martin

As a military child, Karolyn Martin has lived all across the country, but North Carolina has always been home.  Karolyn's social impact initiative, #SelfKare: Eat to Success, aims to teach the community to eat in a way that fuels our minds and bodies to success while taking the focus off of weight and appearance.

She began her Miss America Organization journey in 2019 and won the job of Miss North Carolina 2022 on June 25, 2022. Since 2019, she has spoken to over 2,000 students about the importance of positive wellness, hosted two nationally attended wellness summits, and published her cookbook The Self Kare Kitchen: Dorm Meals for the Healthy College Student.

Karolyn Martin is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Appalachian State University's Honors College in Boone, NC. In the future, she plans to pursue her J.D. and work as a lawyer in business, patents, and intellectual property helping women pursue their entrepreneurial goals.

Frances Weller

Harold Davis

Margaret Weller Stargell

Adm. Daryl Caudle

Trot Nixon

Ana Brown

Be sure to follow us on social media for additional info about the week!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

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