The N.C. Azalea Festival came in as one of the top flower festivals in the country in a USA Today’s reader poll, according to results released Friday.
 
The festival earned the No. 5 spot on the 10 Best Readers’ Choice/Best Flower Festival competition after the public voting concluded, according to USA Today’s website.
 
Voters were able to log onto the USA Today website and vote once per day for their favorite festivals through March 28, when voting ended.
 
A panel of experts picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Cindy Brockway (The Trustees), Abby Hird (Botanic Gardens Conservation International) and Katy Moss Warner (American Horticultural Society) were chosen to vote based on their extensive knowledge of flowers and gardens, according to the USA Today website.
 
The Azalea Festival – scheduled this year for April 6-10 – earned the title of the fifth-best flower festival in the United States, coming in behind Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan, which topped the list; the Mackinac Island Lilac Festival in Mackinac Island, Michigan; the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California; and Dallas Blooms in Dallas.