MUMFEST 2012 Is Here!



Setting up Indy Tour in early morning hours



Locating the necessities



Michael's Amusements...ready for festival goers

It’s hard to believe, MUMFEST is just hours away. The city is busy overseeing the set-up of the Indy Racing Tour, portable restrooms and the rest of the items on their “To Do” list. Bud Van Slyke, an outstanding volunteer who has overseen the Boat Show and Union Point Park for the past 10 years, has been at the park for most of the week and will be there all day today orchestrating the set-up of the boats, vendors, pool assembly. The hustle and bustle is growing in intensity with the goal of having everything ready for Saturday morning at 9:30 am when the party begins!

If it seems in the past month or so, the daily posts have been focused primarily on MUMFEST, it’s true. In the two or three months prior to the festival, our time is consumed with taking care of the many chores that are required to prevent utter chaos.  It is labor intensive, but well-worth the effort when vendors begin arriving, know  where to set-up, know the rules and things go smoothly.

Vendors begin arriving on Friday and setting up after 6 p.m. Many chose to set-up Friday evening and many also arrive early Saturday morning. The same is true for the attractions and vendors.

Once the confusion of  set up is over, the fun begins with two days of numerous venues, savory foods, hundreds of vendors with a myriad of products.

Danielle and I appreciate all the support the community extends to this event and our biggest wish is that everyone will have a grand time.

See you at MUMFEST!

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director

What's New At Mumfest

Mumfester’s for the most part love tradition…funnel cakes, amusement rides (especially the Ferris wheel), the many vendors with a large assortment of unique items and the long standing festival attractions. They also look forward to something new, a venue that will become a tradition, like the Incredible Purina Dog Show and they won’t be disappointed! Here’s what’s new at MUMFEST 2012

On the Water

SEAFAIR, one of the ten largest privately owned mega yachts in the United States, is a floating art gallery with three decks of fine art, sculpture and photography for sale; docked at the New Bern Grand Marina behind the Doubletree Hilton Hotel it is open for tours Friday through Sunday.

CRYSTAL COAST LADY offers one and a half hour fully narrated scenic nature and history tours aboard the 75’ super cruiser with enclosed and open air seating on the upper and lower decks, a kids steering station, giant bow viewing area, full snack bar and galley and clean, modern restrooms.

LOOKOUT LADY, the 49 passenger ecology tour vessel offers a relaxing getaway from the hectic excitement of the festival with two hour historic and scenic nature river tours. 

In the Midway

The INDY TOUR features the Detroit Chevrolet Grand Prix of Belle Isle Indy show car, a 4L85 transmission, several high performance engines, plus a display of Chevrolet accessories and performance parts.

RING CITY ROLLERGIRLS, a female flat track roller derby team based in Kinston, will be demonstrating the skills and tricks used in the world of roller derby.

Willy the Hillbilly, the popular character representing Mountain Dew in the 1960s, will entertain crowds on Saturday and Sunday.

New Stage

On Sunday, the NC Songwriters Co-op will entertain crowds with newly written songs performed by members of the Songwriters’ Cooperative. 

New Eats

Pumpkin funnel cakes, deep fried butter, alligator bites, shrimp and grits, bacon wrapped scallops, Shawarma and crab fritters, in addition the all the traditional favorites.

In The Park

Expansion of the Boat Show will include Outdoor Recreation exhibits and on-going demonstrations of standup paddle boarding, canoes, kayaks, cycling, motor cross sports, spas, jet ski dealers, outdoor adventure clubs and the Gables Run Equestrian Center is bringing Peanut the Pony for photo opps with children.

On the Downtown Streets

ARTZONE features artists working in different genres with art demonstrations and exhibits en plein air (outside) and in galleries along the 300 block of Pollock Street and throughout the downtown.

QR code signage throughout the festival for smart phone owners to check on schedules and locations.

For a full list of activities, attractions and performance schedules go to mumfest.com. For your convenience, you can download the map of the festival area and/or pull out the center section of the Sun Journal tab delivered to subscribers on Thursday.

See you at MUMFEST…pray for good weather!

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director

MUMFEST Tab/Program

In today’s Sun Journal, the MUMFEST tab/program is inserted to provide a total overview of all that will be happening during the festival weekend. In addition to the many, many venues, entertainment, information of the free continuous shuttles, the drop off and pick-up locations, a map of the festival area with a complete schedule of times for the shows, demonstrations and entertainment is included. The map page was designed as a pull out to make it convenient for festival-goers to take with them so they won’t have to worry or wonder where everything is located.

Stacey Swann, who works for Scott Embrey, put the tab together which I’m sure everyone can see was an enormous challenge. Designing and arranging so much material to fit within the 32 pages was quite a feat. We applaud her for her creativity and all the hard work that went into it.

For those who don’t subscribe to the Sun Journal, copies will be available (as long as they last) at the Swiss Bear booth at the corner of Broad and Middle and at the Sun Journal booth near the entry to Union Point Park on Saturday and Sunday. You may also go to mumfest.com and click on the festival map button to easily print a copy to take with you. For those with smart phones, QR code signage will be located throughout the festival. We worked to make it as convenient as possible for festival-goers to know what is going on. We don’t want you or your family to miss anything as there is truly something for everyone!

The weather forecast indicates we will have nice weather (a great relief) so we look forward to record crowds and a fun-filled family weekend. 

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director 

Coastal Photo Club - MUMFEST Scavenger Hunt



Coastal Photo Club - Mumfest 2011

One of the challenges of MUMFEST weekend is having the time to take numerous photos that capture the  spirit of the festival and are good enough to use the following year for marketing, so we are happy to report the Coastal Photo Club for the second year in a row is embracing this challenge. To add to the esprit de corps, the Club sent members a scavenger hunt list of 30 phrases they need to capture in their photo’s… reminds you of the sun, brings joy to a parent, floats in the sky, spun sugar, makes music, on four wheels, that which best exemplifies MUMFEST 2012. It’s a great list and will surely produce some great photos.  

The Coastal Photo Club meets the second Saturday of each month at Centenary United Methodist Church in downtown New Bern, NC at 9:30 a.m. This active group sponsors many activities including  youth photography workshops, workshops on photographic history, mini and major competitions with special themes, taking publicity shots at special events (like MUMFEST and Riverfest), organizing photo gallery exhibits and seasonal photo worthy events. They also enjoy the camaraderie of members with cookouts and other get-togethers throughout the year.

The home page of the Club’s website www.coastalphotoclub.com to our delight, has a photo of a group of their members at MUMFEST, camera’s in hand, ready to shoot!

If you or someone you know, might be interested in joining the Club, contact President Judy Hills at ahills@suddenlink.net

 for more information. You can also go to their website and download an application form. It's a great way to sharpen your photographic skills, particiate in the numerous activities, share your interst and enjoy the friendship of a great group of people.Swiss Bear and MUMFEST appreciate the Coastal Photo Club’s willingness to share their time, talent and interest with us and look forward to seeing an array of photos capturing a fun-filled family weekend.

How about you…do you plan to take pictures at MUMFEST? We'd love to see them.

Susan Moffat Thomas
Executive Director



Sold Out - Filled Up!

Local honey at Mumfest

Mumfest Food Vendor

Artist at Mumfest

Pumpkin Patch at Mumfest

For the first time, all the vendor spaces are filled and we must turn vendors away. As much as we dislike doing it, we are returning recently received applications as there simply isn’t any more available space. To accommodate the continual applications  pouring in daily over the past three weeks, we studied the maps for every possible location that could be used to increase the number of spaces without compromising the safety of festival-goers. As a result, half of the East side of Craven Street (300 block) will have vendors, also on the easement/sidewalk along the east side of East Front Street (100 block) and in Union Point.  

So if you are looking forward to shopping for unique items and gifts, well over three hundred vendors will offer an array of goods and services. Everything from sculpture, pottery, hand crafted and hand-made items, specialty foods, jewelry, gourmet spices, clothing and accessories, information on area organizations, commercial products, business opportunities, home improvements… even employment opportunities can be found.

Vendors are located throughout the festival midway area and in Union Point Park.

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director

SeaFair Arrives...



SeaFair 228' Yacht

What a treat it will be to watch the colossal 228 foot SeaFair maneuver through the Cunningham Bridge and dock at the New Bern Grand Marina. Captain Craig Matthews expects the yacht (ship) to arrive in New Bern around 2:30 pm.  Although SeaFair is one of the largest commercial vessels that travels in the Intercoastal Waterway, it can dock at the New Bern Grand Marina as it was designed to have a draft of only 6.5 feet,  the depth at the Marina.  

It will be a spectacular sight and the newest major venue for MUMFEST.

The opening gala, Arts Ahoy will be held Thursday evening, an elegant casual affair  celebrating the unveiling of the SeaFair Collection, 28 galleries filled with art by nationally known artists and photographers. Butlered canapés, fine champagne and wine, guests can mingle with Governor Perdue and Larry Wheeler, Director of the North Carolina Art Museum and enjoy an evening unlike any other that has ever  been held in New Bern.


SeaFair Yacht

Tickets can be purchased through  http://www.cravenarts.org/  or at the Bank of the Arts. This fundraising event benefits the Craven Arts Council and Swiss Bear, organizations committed to the betterment of downtown and the community.

Special thanks to this outstanding community for supporting our many events, projects and MUMFEST. We are looking forward to an outstanding week.

Tell us what you think.

Susan Moffat Thomas
Executive Director

Main Street Solutions Grant - Updte on old Pak A Sak Building Renovation

Old Pak A Sak
under renovation

Gutted Interior

Last March we were happy to report two downtown projects submitted in January through the City for a NC Main Street Solutions grant for $100,000 was being funded. Swiss Bear and the City Planning Department worked with Haroldson Properties to acquire the grant to assist with the renovation of what is referred to as the old Pak A Sak building (a small grocery chain in New Bern for many years) on East Front Street and the expansion and improvement to the retail area in the Bank of the Arts.

The Haroldson property has been under renovation since April for lease to David Blythe as an annex to the Branches Furniture Store on Pollock Street. Work included demolition and gutting of the interior of the building, removal of the huge walk in cooler, replacing all electrical and plumbing systems, cutting into the brick façade to allow for new thermal windows that extend to the concrete floor, suspended ceilings, new light fixtures, wall to wall carpeting and last, but not least, the graffiti on the exterior of the building removed.

Effective October 5, David Blythe, third generation owner of Branches, will sign a five year lease. He is very happy as the addition of 9,000 square feet of downtown showroom space  allows the introduction of two new product lines –  mattress and outdoor living galleries. David said ”he has been waiting for years to have another showroom within walking distance of the original store. Branches walk-in traffic downtown is five times more than it ever was in the previous annex location on Highway 70 East”.

He is hiring three new employees (meets the terms of one new employee for every $25,000 of MSS grant money) and is grateful to Swiss Bear, the City, Haroldson Properties and the state for making the renovation of the building possible.

Swiss Bear is pleased the NC Main Street Solutions Fund Program made it possible to renovate a long standing vacant building, expand a downtown family business and the downtown retail mix, create three new jobs and enhancing the East Front Street gateway and corridor into downtown. 



Nearing completion



David Blythe, Owner
Branches Furniture Store




Susan Moffat Thomas
Executive Director

Make It Pop!

Round-a-bout at East Front and Broad Street

In a previous blog, I related new Parks & Recreation staff, Eva Osteen and Steve Hollar were busy coming up with ideas and designs to energize and beautify the City and downtown area public spaces with new varieties of plants and seasonal selections.

In the round-a-bout at East Front and Broad Street, grass and brick since it was constructed by NCDOT a number of years ago, was recently landscaped with a 20 foot diameter area filled with mums, shrubs and other flowering fall plants and equipped with water access to allow for drip irrigation.

After looking at the newly landscaped area, the City Manager and Thurman Hardison, Director of Parks & Recreation decided it looked good , however it would look even better with a larger landscaped area and more plantings to minimum the amount of grass to make it pop!

So with that directive, over the next few days, Parks & Recreation staff will expand the diameter of the planting bed by 12 feet and fill it with more plant material including nandina, lantana, viola and pansies and in the center, yellow and red mums to create a  focal point and “make it pop”,  for MUMFEST.

The next phase of seasonal plantings will include additional pansies and unique winter annuals (bright, bold colors) and tulips.

We couldn’t be more pleased.

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director

October 7-14 An Incredible Week For New Bern

Committee members (L to R)
Judy Avery, Nancy Stallings,Danielle Glynn, Melissa Riggle,
Nancy Wyatt, Jim Bisbee, Sandy Bruno
Members not pictured
Susan Moffat-Thomas, Linda Mattocks, Carol Tokarski, Alison Mattocks, Mary Harris

The Arts Ahoy Committee met on Monday morning and we were all happy to hear the tickets are selling extremely well and may be a sell-out. The good news provided the enthusiasm for all of us to embrace the many details that remain to insure the event will be a grand affair., i.e. selection of hors d oeuvres from the list submitted by Seafair’s chef, booking entertainment for the three decks for the First View, organizing guest registration for the evening of the event, parking…the list is long but our able committee members are taking it in stride and everything should go as planned.

The Arts Ahoy gala marks the inaugural of this mega yacht’s stay in New Bern with the unveiling of The SeaFair Collection to include works of art from a broad array of paintings, prints, sculpture and photography by contemporary artists, all available for sale. Artists include Robert Cottingham, Thomas Hartmann and pop-artist icons Robert Indiana, Jim Dine, Tom Wesselman and many others. In addition to the 28 galleries filled with art, there are two outdoor bars, a coffee bar and an open-air bistro and bar on the Sky Deck. What a great venue for MUMFEST’s 32^nd year.

Captain Craig Matthews notified us they departed from Brooklyn at 9:45 am on Monday, expect to reach Morehead City Thursday morning to take on fuel and then on to New Bern arriving, weather-permitting, on Sunday. It will be fascinating to see this 228 foot yacht arrive and watch as Captain Matthews maneuvers the enormous vessel so it can dock at the New Bern Grand Marina.

Arts Ahoy featuring nationally known artists on Thursday, acclaimed musicians performing at the Four Seasons concert on Friday, MUMFEST on Saturday and Sunday with dozens of venues…what an incredible week…what an incredible reputation New Bern is building!

What do you think?

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director

Inaugural Four Season Concert In New Bern, October 12

Ara Gregorian, Artistic Director
Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival

It is quite amazing how many world class musical performances New Bernians can enjoy throughout the year, at a modest price, without leaving the city and the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival is at the top of the list.  

We are very fortunate, Ara Gregorian, Artistic Director of the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, East Carolina University chose to have the inaugural season open in New Bern on October 12 in the NC History Center Cullman Performance Hall at 7:30 pm.

The outstanding program includes Ludwig van Beethoven’s Sonata for Piano and Violin in A Major, Op. 30 No.1, and Richard Strauss' Sonata for Violin and Piano in E Flat Major, Op. 18 with additional selections to be announced.

Robert McDonald, piano, won the gold medal at the Busoni International Competition, top prizes at the William Kapell International Competition and the Washington International Competition along with many other honors throughout his career and is on the piano faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School.

Ara Gregorian, violin, the founder of the Four Season Chamber Music Festival made his New York recital debut in 1996 at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and his debut as soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra in Symphony Hall in 1997. He has performed around the world and is a member of the violin faculty at East Carolina University.

Tickets: $25 public, $10 students. Go to http://www.ecuarts.com/

or purchase in person at the Bank of the Arts.

Special thanks to Katherine and John Haroldson for sponsoring this first of a three concert series. The second and third performances are December 1st and May 4th.

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director

Alfred A. Cunningham Bridge - Scheduled On the Hour Openings MUMFEST Weekend

Alfred A. Cunningham Bridge

Although Swiss Bear and the New Bern Police Department work closely to insure the public’s safety and security during festival weekend, one of my biggest concerns was for the safety of festival-goers as they stream across the Alfred A. Cunningham Bridge.

Many people park on the James City side of the Trent River and walk across the bridge by the hundreds as pedestrians along with heavy vehicular traffic. The festival also attracts many recreational boaters requiring the continual opening and closing of the bridge. The intense frequency creates a situation where pedestrians become very frustrated and between openings, get careless and take great risks, sometimes trying to jump across before the bridge is completely closed and gates opened. This is repeated throughout the two days. Although we haven't had any injuries or accidents so far, I am fearful it is just a matter of time.

With this major safety concern,  I contacted NCDOT (the Bridge owner) voicing my concern to Ms. Mary Moore, Assistant Division Traffic Engineer, with a request from Swiss Bear for scheduled bridge openings festival weekend. Following up, after a conversation with Waverly Gregory, Jr., Bridge Program Manager, 5^th Coast Guard District, Portsmouth, VA  requesting on the hour openings of the Alfred A Cunningham Bridge during festival hours, Saturday, October 13 and Sunday, October 14^th, I submitted a written request to NCDOT.

On September 26^th, I received a copy of a letter from Waverly Gregory, Jr. addressed to Ms. Mary Moore, NCDOT, responding to Swiss Bear’s request to restrict the operations of the Bridge. It states,

“to facilitate the free and safe movement of 83,000 attendees during the annual MUMFEST on October 13 and October 14, 2012, between 9 am and 6 pm, the drawbridge need only open on the hour.” 

Since the festival is just two weeks away, the challenge now is to try and get the word out so boaters are aware the Bridge openings will be scheduled on the hour festival weekend. Please help us pass the word to your boating friends and we will notify the press and area yacht clubs.

It may be a bit of an inconvenience to some, however, it would be tragic if there was a major accident on the bridge. We ask for everyone’s cooperation and patience for these two days, be it pedestrians or boaters. 

Tell us what you think.

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director

Shooting For the Charleston Look...Southern Charm

Round-a-bout at Broad and East Front Streets.

(L-R) Steve Hollar & Paul Haddock
wrapping up round-a-bout planting project

Downtown’s planting beds will be transitioned with fall plants and mums over the next few weeks.

Two new (April) Parks and Recreation employees, Eva Osteen and Steve Hollar have been busy coming up with new designs to include a larger variety of plants for the city beds than in past years. Both are up for the challenge and very qualified. Eva worked for Tryon Palace caring for the gardens and plantings for almost 16 years and Steve worked for his father Gary for many years as the lead landscape designer for Gary’s Nursery.

Their newest project was developing the planting bed in the round-a-bout at Broad and East Front Street…so needed, and best of all  the mums will be bright and showy for festival weekend. Over the next few weeks, they are concentrating on transitioning the beds in Bear Plaza, James Reed Lane, City Hall and all the beds in Union Point Park and planting mums around the Gazebo.

I personally couldn’t be more thrilled as the usual question festival weekend from visitors has been “so, where are the mums?” By the sound of it, mums will abound not only at Tryon Palace but also in the downtown festival area.

Future plans include identifying plants in beds with name/plant tags, beautifying the gateways and looking for other planting areas.

When they were interviewed by Thurman Hardison, Parks and Recreation Director, Eva said they both had the same response to his question “what is your vision for the city?”  ”Shooting for the Charleston look…Southern charm… lush and beautiful.”  The perfect answer!!!

We are thrilled with their vision and look forward to enjoying the beauty that comes with it. What do you think?

  

Susan Moffat-Thomas

Executive Director

Tryon Palace Fife & Drum Corps - A Call For New Members

Tryon Palace Fife & Drum Corps

On Tuesday, Florence Wootten, a member of the Tryon Palace Fife & Drum Corps came to our office inquiring if there was any possible way the Corps could  perform at the festival. She said, in 2005, Tryon Palace initiated  this new program to re-create a colonial fife and drum corps as musicians were an important part of the 18^th century military. Captain John F. West, New Bern Police Department, is an instructor and played a major role in organizing this new program now directed by Kim Bennett. The program and membership has grown in skill and reputation and the Corps play
at many events year round, in and out of the area.

Florence plays the fife and thought being able to perform in the festival would be the perfect way for the group to “show their colors” and recruit new members.  We agreed, and fortunately had an opening. They will perform in the Dance-arena area (parking area between the county administration building and the Sudan Temple) on Saturday, October 13^th at 3:30 p.m. We are excited to add them to the list of performers in this venue, a very popular festival attraction featuring local dance groups showcasing a broad range of talent in this community.

Anyone 10 and over can join the group. Musical experience is not a requirement, though helpful.  Festival-goers are invited to come and enjoy their performance. Corps members will be available following their performance to answer questions and encourage people to join. So if you’ve ever played in a band, or wanted to, or just want to have fun and make new friends, now is the time to consider joining the Tryon Palace Fife & Drum  Corps. This unique performing group  is one of Tryon Palaces’  most visible and popular programs.

Susan Moffat-Thomas

Executive Director

Tryon Palace Fife & Drum Corps...on the move.

Carven Arts Festival - September 29-30

The place to be for art lovers this week-end is the Craven Arts Festival in the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center. This is a perfect time to meet artists who specialize in many mediums from handmade jewelry, pottery, sculpture, photography, mixed media, fiber arts to hand crafted furniture, much of it available for sale.

In addition to the artist’s booths, there are demonstrations and workshops. The workshops, for a modest fee, offer a wide range of choices… from Ikebana Flower Arranging and Raku/Smoke Pit-fired Pottery, Fabulous Earrings, Photography, Strong Composition, Bookmaking, Watercolor Layering/Masking to Painting En Plein Air, all by well-known artists.

The Wine Tasting and Bernie Awards Party, a ticketed event Saturday evening ($30/ members, $35/nonmembers) promises to be lots of fun along with the opportunity to be a part of the award festivities and see who receives the Bernie Award for their outstanding contributions  to the arts in Craven County.  Event proceeds benefit the Craven Arts Council & Gallery.

The Festival is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information, to sign up for classes and buy tickets for the Party, go to http://www.cravenarts.org/craven-arts-festival.html or call (252) 638-2577.

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director

Take The Easy Way

If readers don’t want to deal with hunting for a parking place festival week-end, we suggest they take the easy way as there several other options.

Thanks to the generosity of  Little Caesars Pizza and the little bank, we were able to contract with New Bern Tours to offer free continuous pick-up/drop-off service from the New Bern Mall (parking in the lot behind the JC Penny store) to three points in the festival area…Broad @ Hancock Street, Hancock @ South Front Street and South Front @ Craven Street. Additionally, the City Parks & Recreation Department will provide several buses to insure there is adequate transportation for this popular service.

Service hours are Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

For the very first time, Palm Coast Tours & Outings is providing free shuttle service from Fairfield Harbour, thanks to sponsors Robinson and Stith Insurance and Audiology of New Bern. Departure from Fairfield Harbour is on the hour to one location only - Broad @ Hancock Street. Return trips to Fairfield Harbour are on the half hour.

Water Taxi Service will also be available between Dock # 2 in Union Point Park and the end of the BridgePointe Marina near the small channel. A fee of $5 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and $1 for children under 10 each way, helps defrays the spiraling cost of diesel fuel.

A map of the festival-area and pick-up/drop-off locations can be downloaded from our www.mumfest.com website and the map will be included in the Sun Journal tabloid/official program distributed to 18,000 households in the Wednesday, October 10^th edition. 

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director 

Constitution Week Celebration: Why Not At His Gravesite?



Gravesite and sepulcher of Richard Dobbs Spaight



National observance of Constitution Week began on September 17 at 3:30 p.m. with Ringing of the Bells locally at Tryon Palace by the Richard Dobbs Spaight Chapter, Daughters of the Revolution, other DAR Chapters, schools and groups across the nation. The Ringing of the Bells commemorates the time on Sept. 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention, including New Bernian Richard Dobbs Spaight, met for the last time to sign the document they created.

My thoughts, as I read in the Sun Journal, the Ringing of the Bells ceremony by the Richard Dobbs Spaight Chapter would be held at Tryon Palace, were “why not at his gravesite?”

We are so fortunate to have the honor of having a signer of the constitution buried in our community. Since the purpose of this week of observance is to promote study and education about the constitution, does it not seem we should be commemorating Constitution Week with an observance ceremony at Richard Dobbs Spaight’s gravesite?

This famous New Bernian, Richard Dobbs Spaight, Sr., a Revolutionary War patriot, a delegate to the Federal Constitution Convention of 1787 and the North Carolina Ratification Convention of 1788, and the first native born Governor of the state of North Carolina (serving three terms) is buried in his family’s sepulcher at Clermont adjacent to Madam Moore’s Lane. This property, owned by the MacDonald family for many years, was bequeathed by the late Ms. Hughrena MacDonald to the state of North Carolina as a part of Tryon Palace to insure this historic property/site was preserved for perpetuity.

Constitution Week presents the perfect opportunity to bring public awareness to this very historic site, especially since the actual initiative to have President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Congress officially proclaim September 17 – 23 as Constitution Week was led by Gertrude Caraway of New Bern, a member of the Richard Dobbs Spaight Chapter and President General of the National Society of the DAR.

Perhaps, Constitution Week 2013, the 226^th anniversary of the signing of the constitution, will include an observance at this hallowed gravesite.

Tell us what you think?

Susan Moffat-Thomas

MUMFEST... a Swiss Bear/City Partnership

Keith Jernigan, Craven County Health Dept.,
Jeremy Blalock, NBFD,
Mark Stephens, Public Works Director,
 Police Chief Touissant Summers

Jeremy Blalock, NBFD, Lt. Ronnie Lovick, NBPD,
 Mark Stephens, Public Works Director, Police Chief Summers,
Joe Bailey, Security, Danielle Glynn, Swiss Bear,
Bud VanSlyke, Chairman, Boat Show/Outdoor Life

Bud VanSlyke, Chair, Boat Show/Outdoor Life,
Debra Yarbrough, Craven County Health Dept.,
Dalton Gaskins, City Water Treatment Plant,
Danielle Glynn, Swiss Bear, Joe Bailey, Security

As October 13 – 14 draws closer and closer, our days at the office become longer and more hectic, assigning spaces, marking spaces on the streets, inventorying signs, ordering new ones, preparing 300+ vendor packets filled with set-up information, the continual ringing of phones…an endless list! However, it is worth the wear and tear as it insures a well-organized event that vendors appreciate and the festival-goers love.

What also insures a well-organized and well-run event is our partnership with the City, our elected officials and administration. Many of the departments have a role that is critical to MUMFEST. Electric, under Jon Rynne installs the temporary power panels to provide power to the vendors; the Police, under Chief Summers, oversees safety and security; Thurman Hardison’s Parks & Recreation staff provide manpower for delivering and setting up bleachers, trash pick-up through-out the weekend, getting the parks and planting areas in order; Water Resources, under Jordan Hughes' direction, provides water hook-up connections important to food vendors.  Mark Stephens, Director of Public Works, is responsible for overseeing all the rest…everything from hanging street banners, directing vendors to their spaces, putting up signage, barricades, stages, hauling trash, disposing of the vendor’s gray water each day, sweeping the streets. The list is long and the work load is immense.

Additionally, the Health Department inspects every food vendor before they can set-up and Fire Department staff inspect each food vendor’s set-up to insure they are following fire regulations and have fire extinguishers on site.

My objective in pointing this out is not to exhaust readers, but to provide a glimmer on how important this partnership is and the team work it takes to produce MUMFEST.  The public’s safety and enjoyment is paramount and the success of MUMFEST is directly related to the relationship MUMFEST and Swiss Bear has built over the past 32 years with the City, its various departments and its personnel.

When you see City employees working festival weekend, please take a moment  to stop and say thank you. Your safety and enjoyment is in their good hands.

Tell us what you think.

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director

MUMFEST 2012...the "Grits" are back!

Hot Buttered Grits, a festival favorite, is back! The ever popular improvisational/electric band from Eastern North Carolina has been serving it up hot and fresh, in area clubs, at deck parties, backyards and at MUMFEST. Each member brings and eclectic array of influences to the group for a truly unique blend of music that defies classification and draws crowds.

Hot Buttered Grits will perform on the Main Stage on Sunday, October 14 at 12:45 p.m. for two hours replacing TJ Jones & The Pamlico Sound Machine, due to a scheduling conflict.

The Main Stage is located in front of the Galley Store. Be sure and check the jam packed entertainment schedule on mumfest.com, the official program or for those with smart phones, click on the QR code on MUMFEST posters or signage.

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director

Five Things to Do in My Town...New Bern and Craven County

Kudos to Our State magazine for the series 5 Things to Do In My Town, asking readers to become tour guides and tell everyone what to do when they visit their town and publishing them on their website. http://www.ourstate.com/new-bern/

And kudos to Wendy Card, Susan Cook and Thea Kinkaid for doing just that. Readers can go to it and read a very comprehensive article on what to see and do in New Bern and Craven County. It is an enticement that is very timely in encouraging visitors to come and enjoy all the City has to offer.

When I called the owner of the mega yacht Seafair last year in late October to inquire if they would come to MUMFEST 2012 (Seafair was at the 2011 Seafood Festival) the objective was having a new art venue at MUMFEST that would draw visitors from across the state and showcase our city as a cultural art center.

The festival, originally created as a revitalization strategy to bring people downtown, has continued to do so on a large scale by expanding with the community’s support into a major signature, award winning event with an economic impact of over $5 million.

The big push now is working with the Tourism Development Authority to increase “heads on beds”, i.e. attracting visitors to the festival to stay for a minimum of two, three or four days, filling our hotels, eating in our restaurants, shopping and visiting our museums and attractions.

SeaFair, with three decks and 28 galleries of fine art, jewelry and sculpture, has the potential of helping us reach that goal. Downtown’s reputation as an art and cultural center is burgeoning. Our partnership with the Craven Arts Council & Gallery to kick off the festival festivities with Arts Ahoy, a fundraising art venue aboard SeaFair, moored at the New Bern Grand Marina, will benefit both organizations and reinforce the importance of the arts in this community. The support of many businesses and organizations for this venue and goal is further strengthened by the support of Governor Beverly Perdue and Larry Wheeler, Executive Director of the NC Art Museum who are serving as hosts for the Arts Ahoy First View of the two tier opening.

Several thousand invitations were mailed statewide with an insert inviting people to attend this event and extend their stay throughout the weekend. For the first time on Friday, retailers and artists will host unique art exhibits, lecture series, concerts and more to enhance visitors to take advantage of this outstanding weekend.

Our State’s publication of 5 Things to Do in New Bern couldn’t be timelier, as it is probably a good bet the majority of those who receive our invitation to the October 11 Arts Ahoy event are also Our State subscribers.The website http://www.visitnewbern.com/ offers further encouragement with a Charm package offering discounts for accommodations, shops and attractions.

The article submitted by three of New Bern's biggest cheerleaders, Wendy, Susan and Thea will surely play a major role in helping us reach our goal of enticing visitors to discover a city rich in the arts, culture, history, outdoor recreation and community spirit, festival weekend and beyond.

It takes a village!

Tell us what you think.

Susan Moffat Thomas

MUMFEST...Vendor Spaces Are Filling Up!

As the festival grows closer, the volume of applications increase day by day. The spaces are filling up and we are pleased with the quality and variety of vendors submitting applications.

To peak your interest, arts and crafts include everything from whirligigs and kinetic art to handmade quilts, clothing and accessories, jewelry (of, course), paintings, yard art, photography and pottery.  Numerous vendors in the commercial category offer items and products running the gamut from imported hand-made items and crafts, to pre-packaged spices, candy, specialty food stuff, edible arrangements, spas, small furniture items, kitchen gadgets, even haircuts and feather extensions. Festival-goers can also learn about the many services offered by area nonprofits, government agencies and churches.

Food vendors (the quota reached several months ago) will again be located throughout the festival midway area and Union Point Park representing a wide array of savory foods…Thai, Chinese, American, Mediterranean, pizza, seafood, desserts, funnel cakes, ice cream, beverages and much more.

For those who are considering participating as a vendor, you may want to submit your application in the near future to insure you have a space. For those who love to shop the festival, you can look forward to a great week-end and shopping experience that offers a unique mix of specialty items, arts, crafts, goods and services….something for everyone!

See you there.

Mumfest 2011

                           

Susan Moffat Thomas
Executive Director