Non profit booths are part of Mumfest's long heritage

Greg Smith is kept busy filling in the color as mums
 are purchased at Mitchell Hardware on Craven Street
as residents prepare to celebrate the Annual
Mum Festival this weekend.

Amid the 300-plus vendors filling six blocks of downtown New Bern today and Sunday are upward of 50 local nonprofits and other charitable organizations that use the event to get public exposure and offer information about their causes.

The charitable groups represent the heritage backbone of the event, which began as a minor show more than three decades ago.

It has continued under the guidance of Swiss Bear Downtown Development Corp. into one of the premier festivals in the Southeast.

Groups such as Vietnam Veterans of America, ChAapter 886 get the opportunity at Mumfest to share information that many people may not know.

“Our chapter’s focus is to provide information and support not just to Vietnam veterans but all veterans regarding medical care, VA disability claims, or family survival benefits veterans earned in service of our country,” said Dobert Owsley, the chapter president.

The nonprofits are intermingled with the hundreds of vendors along a festival area that includes Broad Street, from Hancock to East Front Street; one block sections of Middle and Craven streets off of Broad; and East Front extending to South Front Street.

There is parking at public lots downtown and a free shuttle service is provided from New Bern Mall on the half-hour. It is available Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The mall pick-up is at the rear parking lot of J.C. Penny.

There is designated handicapped parking in the O. Marks parking lot on Hancock Street.

Most of the events, except for musical and dancing groups, are scheduled both days.

Free musical events begin at 11 a.m. with a today-only performance at the Christ Church Ministry Center on Middle Street. It features the New Bern Suzuki Strings, Down East Dulcimers and the Craven Community College Chorus ENCORE performing.

Another today-only venue is on Broad Street, beside the Sudan Shrine Center — site of dancing and drill performances by the area’s leading dance studios and schools, along with the New Bern High Drill Team and the Tryon Palace Fife & Drum Corps.

The main stage on East Front Street has different music each day.

Today at 11:30 a.m. and continuing until 6:30 p.m., the performers include DNA — A Band of Brothers; Gaylon Pope and Sweet Water and Billy Holton and the Soul Shakers.

There is an amusement park on East Front Street, with Michael’s Enterprises, a mobile midway company, with rides, games and food.

There is also a special Lil’ KIDSTUFF KORNER, under the tent at the corner of Broad and Craven streets.

It has magicians, story-tellers, mask-makers and other performers each day beginning at 10 a.m. such as the Gary Shelton, Poly & Ester, Steve Myott, Steve Willie and the Garbardine Sisters.

At 11 a.m. today and Sunday, there is the Scalawag School for Aspiring Pirates at Union Point Park for youngsters ages 6 to 12. 

There is also chainsaw carving in the park by Boon Hill Gallery.

A local historical location open for the festival is the New Bern Firemen’s Museum on Hancock Street.

Tryon Palace’s gardens are open both days. The Palace’s annual Heritage Plant Sale continues this morning.

For detailed information, on the web: mumfest.com

New Bern to host Mumfest next weekend

The 34th annual Mumfest will be Oct. 11 and 12
along the streets of New Bern’s downtown district and along the waterfront.

Vendors and visitors for New Bern’s largest outdoor event — Mumfest — will begin arriving next week for the Oct. 11 and 12 festival on the city’s waterfront downtown.

Sponsored by the city, it is a production of Swiss Bear Downtown Development Corp. and annually attracts upwards of 100,000 festival-goers from across the Southeast.

Swiss Bear Executive Director Susan Moffat-Thomas said the history and restoration of the city is a drawing card.

Also, visitors can spend a little or a lot with more than 300 commercial and nonprofit exhibitors. The array includes pottery, crafts and art.

There is always plenty of food in booths along the downtown district streets, as well as two days of free entertainment. That includes live bands, dance troupes, magicians, roving street performers, face painters and mermen and mermaids.

Another tradition is a pay riverfront amusement park on the Neuse River, with lots of rides, including a Ferris wheel.

Title sponsor Joe Alcoke Auto and Truck Center will bring NASCAR to the festival with an exhibit from the Richard Childress Racing Team. It includes famous stock cars and two racing simulators to allow visitors to test their driving skill — for free.

Also featured will be the X-POGO Stunt Team, performing extreme pogo exhibition. These world class athletes fly up to nine feet in the air, doing flips and other stunts on their high-powered pogo sticks.

The popular Signora Bella will balance on her orb of doom while juggling Turkish swords — all the while telling tales of her journeys.

Along with Bella will be Rick Hubbard with Juggle Stuff — teaching the audience how to juggle.

A number of favorites will return, including Alex Clark, the comedian who performs jaw-dropping stunts; the Purina Incredible Dog Team making aerial disc catches; the Silver Drummer Girl; a huge model train show, and the New Bern Police’s K-9s, along with the Weller Kennels Labrador retriever demonstrations.

The out of water 15th annual Boat Show will be a place to find a new boat or water-related gear.

More music can be found on Oct. 11 in the Christ Church Ministry Center, 305 Middle St., with the Fairfield Harbour chorus, ENCORE Craven Community Chorus and Down East Dulcimers/New Bern Suzuki Strings.

Wine and beer connoisseurs will enjoy sampling a wide variety of craft wines and beers at the Galley Store’s second annual “Juice on the Neuse Festival.”

“Big Kids Stuff and Lil’ Kids Stuff” will be back this year with Poly and Ester; the famous Gabardine Sisters; master storyteller Steve Myott; mask-maker Steve Wille; and Gary Shelton’s Magic shows.

Every festival has lots of chrysanthemums and Tryon Palace will serve them up in its gardens, which will be open free Oct. 10 to 12. The Palace also will have its bi-annual Heritage Plant Sale on Oct. 11 and 12.

On Oct. 12, join in the 5k run, sponsored by the Coastal Women’s Shelter. Registration will begin at 7 a.m. at Union Point Park.

Also, Tokyo Rosenthal and Gumbo Lily will be performing with other talented members of the N.C. Songwriters. They will perform on the main stage by the Galley Store at East Front and Pollock streets.

Something new this year will be Shepard’s Point Tours of Morehead City, providing boat rides between Lawson Creek Park and Union Point Park. A small fee makes this new attraction possible, sponsored by Woodforest National Bank.

Those who park at the New Bern Mall can travel downtown by free trolley, which is sponsored by Little Caesar’s Pizza and Swiss Bear.

For more, visit mumfest.com on the web.

Mumfest adds acts to October lineup

Aerial pogo team, daring juggler come on board for outdoor festival October 11-12. Organizers of New Bern's largest outdoor festival have added two familiar acts to the talent pool for October's Mumfest.

The XPOGO team each heights of 10 feet on next
generation pogo sticks.

Signora Bella juggles knives and swords
while walking a slack rope.

     








The XPOGO team and Signora Bella, the great Italian equilibrist will perform during the October 11 and 12 festival in downtown New Bern.

     The XOGO team currently holds 15 world records and several Guinness records, It is touted as "the most talented and experienced extreme pogo team in the world."

     Their past performances range from Rio to Beijing to Hong Kong and later this year, they will entertain in Sweden and France.

     Extreme Pogo, or Xpogo, is an action sport performed on next-generation pogo sticks that have the potential o bounce more than 10 feet in the air, measuring from the ground to the bottom of the tip of the pogo stick.

     Signora Bella juggles flaming swords while balancing on the slack rope.  She has entertained audiences of all ages since her arrival on the eastern seaboard several years ago. She has performed on the streets of Williamsburg, Mount Vernon and at Poplar Forest, retreat home of President Thomas Jefferson. She also has performed locally at Tryon Palace.

     Bella brings to life the tradition of the traveling performers of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. She traces her roots to the Italian theatrical style of Commedia Dell'Arte.

     Mumfest is two days of free entertainment, including live bands with music from beach to rock, dance troupes, magicians, roving street performers and face painters, along with hundreds of vendors and craftsmen.

     It will also feature the 13th annual Boat Show.  

     Times for all performances will be on the web at mumfest.com prior to the October event.

Sun Journal, July 3, 2014