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JulyFourth of July Celebrations As one of America's first towns to have a
Fourth of July celebration, New Bern still enjoys a well-turned-out
celebration with traditional hot dogs and fireworks. Swiss Bear
coordinates the impressive fireworks display that takes place at Union
Point Park on the downtown waterfront. Bands traditionally perform
patriotic music to complement the event. Additional holiday activities
take place at Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens, where the gardens
are open for free.
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AugustCarolinian Shakespeare Festival Aug. 1-16, 2009 Carolinian Shakespeare
Festival performs the works of the Bard in a three-week run the first
three weekends of August. Discounts are available for students and
seniors. Greater New Bern Business Expo Aug. 20, 2009/Aug. 19, 2010 The Greater New Bern
Business Expo, hosted by the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center and
presented by the New Bern Area Chamber of Commerce, demonstrates the
diversity of the business community in the Craven County area.
Businesses and non-profit organizations set up displays, offer free
samples, discounts and door prizes, and share information about their
products and/or services. Admission is $1.
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SeptemberCoastal Carolina Chamber Music
Festival The Coastal Carolina Chamber Musical Festival brings
some of the nation's most talented musicians to eastern North Carolina
for concerts that are entertaining, educational and interactive. Taking
place at various locations over two weekends, the festival includes
special open rehearsals that offer behind-the-scenes peeks and
opportunities to meet the artists, as well as a free family concert that
offers discovery and adventure for all ages. Festival packages as well
as individual concert tickets are available. Henderson Park, New Bern (252) 639-7586 DUFFEST is short for
Greater Duffyfield Unity Family Festival. It celebrates the heritage of
this historic African-American neighborhood with a parade, live music,
food and other cultural activities. Sponsored by the Greater Duffyfield
Residents Council, the festival is designed to foster community pride
and unity.
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OctoberMumfest Oct. 10 and 11, 2009 Swiss Bear Downtown Development Corp.
has organized and coordinated the annual fall event now known as Mumfest for
the past 27 years. In cooperation with the City of New Bern, this
celebration, always the second weekend in October, highlights the city's
assets and attracts more than 80,000 visitors to the downtown area and its
waterfront. Mumfest, one of the top 10 festivals in the state, kicks into
high gear on Saturday and Sunday, with an endless diversity of festival
foods, arts and crafts, corporate exhibits, and a kids' corner with
amusement rides, fun activities, puppets, rock climbing and more. Those
attending also can enjoy such attractions as live-stage and roving
entertainment; a model railroad exhibit; military vessel tours; flower and
art shows; and a boat show. Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens features
free admission to its gardens. A free trolley shuttle makes parking easy —
just park at Twin Rivers Mall or one of the other convenient locations and
ride the trolley into the downtown area. Coastal Carolina Fair & Expo October 22-November 1, 2009 Livestock and
produce events are always interesting to see at this fair, sponsored by
the Craven County Jaycees, but most folks come for the midway. Admission
is available at the gate and includes all rides, special events,
exhibits and parking, but the midway has lots of ways to entice more
money from your pockets, including food, games and concessions. New Bern at Night Ghostwalk Oct. 22-24,2009 In late October, the New Bern Historical
Society conducts its New Bern at Night Ghostwalk, complete with ghosts
from New Bern's past. Walking tours feature historic homes, churches and
the Cedar Grove Cemetery. (Insiders recommend you attend all three
nights. Attend the cemetery tour the first night, which is the only
attraction open the first day of the tour, and then divide up the rest
of the attractions over the next two nights. This will give you more
time to enjoy the walk.) Ghostwalks focus on historic events particular
to New Bern, and ghosts from historic occasions are present in homes and
historic buildings on the tour to tell how the times affected them.
Tickets are available at retail locations and the historical society's
headquarters at 512 Pollock Street.
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NovemberCraven Arts
Council The Craven Arts
Council's annual Holiday Showcase and Sale kicks off in November. Shoppers
will find many unique handcrafted gift items, including jewelry, pottery and
stoneware, floral arrangements, birdhouses, fine knitted baby wear, stuffed
animals, toys and more. Admission to the sale is free.
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DecemberCoastal Christmas Celebration You can easily catch the spirit of the
season in New Bern. Annual events of New Bern's Coastal Christmas
Celebration during the month of December include the Craven County
Jaycees' festive parade the first Saturday of the month in downtown New
Bern, and the Craven Regional Medical Center Foundation's Festival of
Trees gala, including the popular Breakfast with Santa for children.
Downtown merchants host a special First Friday event, staying open late
and offering fantastic bargains. Caroling, musical performances, prize
drawings and other events round out this event. The New Bern Women's
Club hosts its annual "The Holly and the Ivy" Homes Tour. Santa Claus
also hears the Christmas wishes of good little boys and girls in his
Santa House on the corner of Broad and Middle streets. Performers from
Down East Dance offer The Nutcracker ballet every other year. Coastal Christmas Flotilla Dec. 5, 2009 Santa arrives in downtown New
Bern in style aboard a Hatteras yacht as part of the Coastal Christmas
Flotilla, which takes place the first Saturday in December and is
organized by New Bern Parks and Recreation. The flotilla of gaily
decorated boats of all sizes proceeds down the Trent River and passes
Union Point, giving spectators a long, lingering look at the boats
festooned with sparkling lights, diving dolphins and red-nosed reindeer. Handel's Messiah A local favorite since 1981, performances of this
classic around the time of "Old Christmas" in early December combine 150
community voices and North Carolina Symphony musicians with conductor
James Ogle, conductor emeritus of the Boise Philharmonic Association
and a former associate conductor of the North Carolina Symphony. Tickets
are available for two afternoon and two evening performances. Tryon Palace
Holiday Celebration December 12 and
19, 2009 Staff and volunteers prepare for weeks for the Tryon Palace Holiday
Celebration. By the beginning of December the palace looks much as it did
during the holidays in 1770 when Governor William Tryon hosted a "very grand
and noble Entertainment and Ball" to celebrate the opening of his sumptuous
home and the Royal capital. The palace is lighted and adorned with fresh
fruit and fragrant greenery. Cooks are busy in the kitchen preparing
confections and delicacies, and the air is filled with holiday aromas. The
tours run throughout the month of December and include all of the site's
historic homes. Special events include Candlelight Tours, fireworks displays
and the Jonkonnu celebration. Admission prices are $15 for adults and $6 for
children. |
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