On March 11, 2004, the Cape Fear Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau hosted a press conference to announce that Mr. Rehder�s elegant Wilmington garden is featured on the cover of the April 2004 issue of Southern Living, the largest regional magazine in the country. In her opening remarks, Judith Grizzel, president/CEO of the New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority d/b/a Cape Fear Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, referred to the cover as the culmination of a two-year odyssey. She then introduced Southern Living Associate Travel Editor Mark G. Stith, who chased spring in Wilmington for two years prior to the article�s publication. Mr. Stith, who penned the article, was also present during the cover photo shoot, which took place following the 2003 North Carolina Azalea Festival. On behalf of Southern Living, Stith presented the Rehder family with a framed print of the magazine�s breathtaking April 2004 cover. Members of the Rehder family proudly accepted the framed print dedicated to the memory of Henry B. Rehder, Sr., whose history with the North Carolina Azalea Festival dates back to the first festival 57 years ago.

�We are delighted to showcase Henry Rehder�s garden on the April cover of Southern Living magazine. To my knowledge, this is the first time that Wilmington has ever been featured on the cover. Not only is this a tribute to Henry�s beautiful landscape, but it�s also an acknowledgement that Wilmington continues to be a top tourist spot,� states Southern Living Associate Travel Editor Mark G. Stith. �It�s a very rare occurrence when a travel destination makes it on the cover of the magazine. But we know what our readers want--to have a home or a meal or a garden that looks like it belongs on the cover of Southern Living magazine. Both the Rehder family and Wilmington can take pride in this wonderful honor. We�re honored, also, to share this beautiful place with the rest of the South.�

�Words cannot express how proud and excited we are that Henry Rehder�s Wilmington garden is immortalized on the April 2004 cover of Southern Living,� states Judith Grizzel, president/CEO of the New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority. �Mark G. Stith and Southern Living�s photographers managed to capture the essence of Wilmington in bloom through extraordinary prose and pictures. What a profound honor it is to be featured on the cover of a high-profile magazine that exemplifies the Southern lifestyle through images and stories about lush gardens, regional foods, fabulous homes and premier travel destinations. This kind of exposure is priceless not only for our destination as a whole, but also for the featured events.�

Among the other special guests who spoke at the press conference were the 2004 North Carolina Azalea Festival President Lisa M. Ballantine and the Cape Fear Garden Club�s 2003 Azalea Garden Tour Chairperson, Elaine B. Henson. Each expressed their gratitude to Southern Living for this unprecedented honor and spoke about what this cover story means to their organizations. Mayor ProTem Laura Padgett spoke about the positive impact that the Southern Living cover story will have on Wilmington.

Experience for yourself the natural beauty of Historic Wilmington and North Carolina�s Cape Fear Coast, as featured on the cover of Southern Living magazine. With an ocean and a historic riverfront town, there are lots of stories to tell. Discover its many historical and cultural charms. For a free Visitors Guide, please call 1-800-222-4757 or visit www.cape-fear.nc.us.

Southern Living magazine, with a readership of approximately 15 million, is published monthly by Southern Progress Corporation, a leading publisher of lifestyle books and magazines. A subsidiary of Time, Inc., Southern Living is based in Birmingham, Alabama.
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Media:
Cape Fear Coast CVB
Connie Nelson
Communications Manager
(910) 341-4030 ext. 20, or
(800) 222-4757
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The New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority d/b/a the Cape Fear Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau (CFCCVB) is the official destination marketing organization of New Hanover County that stimulates economic development through the promotion of travel and tourism.