Swiss Bear and the City of New Bern are excited to kick off MumFest 2022! This weekend, Oct. 8 – 9, downtown New Bern will be filled with family fun, exhibits, attractions and entertainment for all ages. This is the city’s largest event of the year, and one of eastern North Carolina’s largest festivals, with approximately 100,000 people expected to visit downtown New Bern.
In order to accommodate festival-goers, vendors and exhibitors, several downtown streets will be closed beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, October 7 and lasting until 11 p.m. on Sunday, October 9:
200-400 blocks of Broad Street
200-300 blocks of East Front Street
200-300 blocks of Middle Street
300 block of Craven Street
300-400 blocks of Pollock Street
Additionally, along the 200-300 blocks of Hancock Street, only the northbound lane will be open. Traffic will be forced north on Hancock (towards Broad) for the same duration listed above.
There will be restricted vehicle access along the 200-300 blocks of Craven Street and the 200 block of Pollock Street from 6 a.m., Oct. 8 until 7 p.m. on Oct. 9.
Parking for visitors is available streetside downtown or in the free public parking lots located at Hancock and New streets (Black Bear lot) and at S. Front and Hancock streets (Gold Bear lot). You can also park at Lawson Creek Park, 1309 Country Club Road, and take a free shuttle to the festival from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday and from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.
According to a press release issued by Swiss Bear, Inc., the organizer and host of MumFest, the festival has been freshened up this year with the addition of two stages for entertainment. More than 200 hundred vendors, more than a dozen musical acts, and plenty of carnival rides and games are included as well throughout MumMonth, which includes MumFeast and the MumFest concert. Visit mumfest.com for all of the details.
The City of New Bern will have plenty to showcase this year, too. New Bern Fire-Rescue, New Bern Police Department, Development Services, Department of Public Utilities, Parks & Recreation and Administration will have booths along the festival route.
- New Bern Fire-Rescue will feature the Firefighter’s Challenge Course with a kid’s course and adults course. They will also have the Tower 1 truck on site displaying the large American flag as a welcome to MumFest. Special fire-rescue cancer awareness t-shirts will be for sale and you can come try your luck at dunking the chiefs in the dunk tank!
- New Bern Police Department will host K9 demonstrations at the lot on the corner of South Front Street and Craven Street, and motorcycle safety demonstrations in the parking lot in the 300 block of Broad Street.
- Development Services will have two booths along East Front Street where visitors can meet staff, ask questions, learn about the City’s resiliency plan, test their family’s level of disaster preparedness, and check out what the City is doing to increase community resiliency. The second booth right next door will be all about the City’s Redevelopment Commission and what New Bern is doing to redevelop blighted areas, improve community wellness, and increase access to local resources.
- Department of Public Utilities will be set up inside Union Point Park offering bucket truck rides and power line demonstrations. Come meet our staff and see what it’s like to be a lineman!
- Parks & Recreation is hosting the MumFest 5k and 1-mile races on Sunday. The course will begin and end at Union Point Park. Participants can register by clicking here. Additionally, Parks & Recreation will have a booth set up on Craven Street near City Hall with information about annual programming, upcoming events, and interactive games. Say hello to these energetic folks who organize and host nearly 50 events throughout the year including summer camps, movies in the parks, Footloose on the Neuse concerts, and the City’s Halloween events – the Preschool Parade (Oct. 28) Witches Ride (Oct. 29) and this month’s Movie in the Park “The Addams Family 2” (Oct. 29).
- City of New Bern Administration – staff will be set up right outside City Hall with information about programs and services. Stop by, ask questions and say hello!
City booths will also have information on how to sign up for New Bern Alerts.
With an entire weekend of MumFest-ivities, there is something for everyone. Be sure to visit mumfest.com for additional information about festival attractions, including common questions, participating vendors and an interactive map.
By Colleen Roberts, Public Information Officer