Something for everyone at Mumfest 2013

Sun Journal: September 19, 2013

New Bern’s largest outdoor festival — Mumfest — is less than a month away, with crowds of 90,000 expected to flood the city streets and waterfront Oct. 12 and 13.

More than 300 commercial and nonprofit exhibitors will be on hand with pottery, crafts and art, along with dozens of food booths.

The festival fits everyone’s budget, since it is two days of free entertainment, including live bands with music ranging from beach to barbershop, dance troupes, magicians, roving street performers, face painters and clowns.

In addition to all the free entertainment, there’s a riverfront amusement park with lots of ticketed rides.

Here is a glimpse at some of the other top attractions:

The Richard Childress Racing Team knows all about exciting rides, and title sponsor Joe Alcoke Auto and TruckCenter brings NASCAR to Mumfest with three famous stock cars — including the No. 3 of the late Dale Earnhardt.

Two simulators will allow fans to feel the racing experience.

Free family entertainment also features the X-POGO Stunt Team performing the most extreme pogo exhibitions in the world. The team has won several world championship titles in competition held in New York City.

Many favorites return, including comedian/stunt man Alex Clark; the Purina Incredible Dog Team; the Silver Drummer Girl; a huge model train show; New Bern Police’s K-9s and the Weller Kennels Labrador retriever demonstrations.

The 12th annual Mumfest Boat Show features coastal and offshore vessels on display in Union Point Park.

The N.C. Songwriters Co-op performs Oct. 13, sharing songwriting tips and critiquing visitors’ songwriting ability. The Co-op will also entertain original songs.

The traditional Lil’Kidstuff stage has programming both days, with magic shows, storytellers and other entertainment.

The Christ Church Ministry Center has several programs on Oct. 12 — the Fairfield Harbour Chorus, ENCORE, the Craven Community College chorus and also the Down East Dulcimers and New Bern Suzuki Strings.

Wine and beer connoisseurs will enjoy a variety of wine and beer samples at the Galley Store’s “Juice on the Neuse Wine Fest.” N.C. grown wines can be sampled and purchased at the Little River Wine Tasting Room on Craven Street.

Every Mumfest needs lots of chrysanthemums and Tryon Palace serves them up in their magnificent gardens, which are open free Oct. 11 to 13. The palace also has its bi-annual Heritage Plant Sale on Oct. 11 and 12. Gardeners will be on hand to answer your planting questions. Inside tours require a ticket, but outside tours of the palace’s many gardens are free.

The New Bern Firemen’s Museum is a popular venue to learn about New Bern’s fascinating firefighting history.

New Bern Parks and Recreation is offering a 5K run Oct. 13, with registration at 7 a.m. The 5K is at 7:30 a.m. Those events start and finish at Union Point Park. It features a flat course that winds its way through downtown New Bern. The cost is $25 for pre-registration and $30 for day of registration. Registration forms can be filled out on Active.com.

Contact Trevor Freitas at 639-2907 or freitast@newbern-nc.org

There is also a 1-mile Fun Walk scheduled after the 5K begins.

Visitors can come to the festival by water taxi, trolley or park downtown.

On the web: mumfest.com

Mumfest banners support festival

Sponsorship also contributes to Rotary charitable service projects. Sun Journal - June 4, 2013

The Rotary Club of New Bern and Swiss Bear Downtown Development Corp. are again teaming to provide Mumfest banners for the October festival, which will also support of the Rotary Club’s community service projects.

Susan Moffat-Thomas, executive director of Swiss Bear, said banners have been a part of the festival since the mid-1990s when the event was just on Middle Street. Today, it encompasses the downtown district and waterfront each year.

Initially the banners were a business sponsorship of the festival, she said.
“We began a partnership with Rotary two or three years afterward when we saw it was good way to offer a partnership with a nonprofit so they could use the funds for projects,” Moffat-Thomas said.

“It is a great partnership, and we do another with the Lions Club, where they sell the carbonated beverages and raise funds for those that have sight impairment. Anywhere we can work out something that will help, we try to do that.”

The banners are an extension of the annual Mumfest poster design, which has been the work of artist Lisa Bisbee for the past three years.

Area businesses can show their support by sponsoring a Mumfest banner, which will have the company’s name displayed on both sides. The cost is $160. The banners are made of vinyl and measure 22-by-37-inches. They are hung from the banner arms of downtown streetlights for about six weeks, beginning in mid-September. The banners then become the property of the sponsor to display in their business.

The Rotary Club of New Bern uses money from the sale of Mumfest banners and other fundraisers throughout the year to support community service projects such as awarding college scholarships and making sizable grants to many community service organizations such as the Salvation Army, Religious Community Services, MERCI Clinic, Twin Rivers YMCA, Creekside Park and Habitat for Humanity.
The banner opportunity is open through July 30.
For information, call Tammy Sherron at 633-8880 or Swiss Bear at 638-5781.

Banner sponsor applications can be downloaded at mumfest.com by clicking on the banner-merchandising button near the top of the home page.
Swiss Bear produces Mumfest, a city-sponsored event with the support of area businesses and organizations.
The festival is the largest outdoor event each year in New Bern. Proceeds help fund festival expenses and downtown revitalization projects.
Last year, the event drew more than 100,000 visitors over two days.
Charlie Hall can be reached at 252-635-5667 or charlie.hall@newbernsj.com

MUMFEST 2013 has a Bold New Look

October 12-13 

Swiss Bear Downtown Development Corporation asked talented local artist and designer, Lisa Bisbee, to create a new look for MUMFEST 2013. True to her talent, Lisa Bisbee has come up with an original and bold design.

When asked how she came up with her new design, Lisa said, “Every year during the fall, I take photos of the brilliant autumn foliage. This year's design is based on a digitally enhanced image. I captured the photograph when the downtown merchants adorned New Bern’s streets with flowering mums during MUMFEST. The bold warm colors remind me of the harvest season during which MUMFEST takes place. I created a silhouette from the leaves and added white highlights with gestural artistic strokes. The font and color palette is energetic and festive, to remind everyone about new adventures unfolding during MUMFEST 2013!” 

Mumfesters can stop by the Greater Good Gallery at 228 Craven Street in downtown New Bern to see Lisa’s art, and while you’re there it wouldn’t hurt to let her know how you like her new design. You may also visit her web site at www.greatergoodgallery.com

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MUMFEST weekend in New Bern, NC attracts festiver goers from across the southeast to experience this award winning festival located in the beautifully restored historic downtown along the waterfront. Mumfesters can spend a little or spend a lot with over 300 commercial and non-profit exhibitors to choose from including pottery, crafts, art and a tasty variety of savory food. MUMFEST fits everyone's budget with two days of free entertainment including a wide variety of music from a variety of new and exciting bands, dance troupes, magicians, roving street performers, face painters and clowns. 

MUMFEST will be bolder than ever this year featuring the internationally famous X-POGO Team, a huge NASCAR exhibit from the Richard Childress Racing Team and the Renegade pirate ship just to name a few of the exciting new venues coming to New Bern on October 12-13. 

Start making plans now to come to MUMFEST by water taxi, trolley car park downtown - however you get here - come join the fun because there really is something for everyone! Check frequently on the MUMFEST website to learn all about this year's festival: www.mumfest.com

To learn more about MUMFEST and Swiss Bear Downtown Development Corporation go to www.downtownnewbern.com.