The crowds, congestion and heightened activity in Wilmington during the N.C. Azalea Festival can be a real plus for downtown business owners, but the weekend also poses some logistical challenges.

On Friday morning, Java Dog was missing some of its regular customers, many of whom are Cape Fear Community College students.

“Cape Fear kids are complaining about the [parking] decks being fenced off and say they are having trouble finding parking,” said Java Dog staffer Ashley Clark, who at about 1 p.m. said that the coffee shop – located in the Cotton Exchange – was starting to get busy. Despite the closure of Front Street, which made access to Java Dog difficult for some, Clark said that she was beginning to see a lot of foot traffic from festivalgoers.  

Joan Loch, co-owner of Crescent Moon gift shop and gallery, reached by telephone mid-day Friday, said the shop’s relatively new location at 24 N. Front St. gives it increased exposure during the festival.

“With the number of people who come downtown for the festival, it’s the law of averages: we’re going to benefit from the exposure,” she said. “Some local people come in and say, ‘We never knew you were here.’ Others who are here for the festival want to buy arts or crafts. This morning we had vendors coming in to look around.”

Loch said that the shop’s location on Front Street, in the heart of festival territory, allows her to do some creative things to draw in customers.

“And everybody’s in a good mood,” Loch noted.

A block further south on Front Street, 9 Bakery and Lounge was finding breakfast and lunch traffic steady despite having the street blocked off and trucks unloading.

“Since this is all new for us – we weren’t here during Azalea Festival last year – we can’t look at numbers from last year to compare,” said assistant manager Lori Miller. “We do anticipate a fairly busy brunch business Saturday and Sunday.”

Miller said that the restaurant’s bakers had created several special doughnuts for the festival, including a Don’t Panic doughnut whipped up in tribute to Widespread Panic, the festival’s headliner band.

“It’s bacon, peanut butter and banana cream and topped with a banana slice,” Miller said. “It’s been pretty popular so far, as has our chocolate-covered pretzel. Other special doughnuts are Cookies and Cream, Caramel Popcorn, Cap'n Crunch and Kush – flavored with Good Vibes Brewery’s Orange Kush.”