Artful azaleas
Azalea Festival Children’s Art Contest
Community Arts Center, 120 South Second St.
Friday, April 1, 5 p.m., Free
Fifty-four pieces of art from elementary- and middle-school artists will compete in the Seventh Annual North Carolina Azalea Festival Children’s Art Contest from more than 300 submissions, which focus on traditions of the festival. The event will include a ribbon cutting as well as attendance by the Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Belles and light refreshments.
Wings and all
Flytrap Family Fun Day
Carolina Beach State Park, 1010 State Park Road
Saturday, April 2, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Free
Learn more about Cape Fear’s famous carnivorous plant by commemorating the first observance of the Venus flytrap by Royal Governor Arthur Dobbs on April 2, 1759. An impersonator will be there to portray Dobbs and answer questions about the flytrap, while visitors can see more of the plant with hikes on Flytrap Trail.
Snackable stories
Edible Books Program
Northeast Regional Library
Saturday, April 2, 2 p.m, Free
The New Hanover County Public library’s Military Cutoff Road location is inviting book fans to enter its edible book contest, where participants make edible dishes designed to represent their favorite books. Judges will award prizes in the children’s, young adult and adult categories. There will be no eating at the event.
Running rainbows
Color Me Rad 5K
UNCW, 601 S. College Road
Sunday, April 3, 11 a.m, $50
There’s no more colorful way to exercise than the popular Color Me Rad 5K on the campus of UNCW, where participants are doused in colored powders of pink, yellow, green, blue and violet before being hit by a slime station and gel drops at the finish line. The proceeds from the run benefit the UNCW athletic department scholarship fund.
