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 Music Mania!

MUMFEST Music Mania will be everywhere in downtown New Bern on October 11-12. Come prepared to hear a  great variety of talented musicians and enjoy watching the dancing stars on Broad Street. Don’t worry about spending any money because MUMFEST’s musical entertainment is free, as it has been for the past 34 years.

SATURDAY

DNA: A Band of Brothers

We are thrilled to bring this talented group to MUMFEST all the way from Nashville, TN. The fluidity to their pop-rock sound strikes the listener as something new, fresh and different. The band strives to give their music positive and creative lyrics, great harmonies and musical excellence. This band of brothers has a promotional tour in the works that will be in music hot-spots all over the country. For more information, follow their tour or hear their music including their full length album Plenty of Thoughts, visit: dnaofficialmusic.com/.

Gaylon Pope & SweetWater

A sweet taste of country, good-time oldies, Gospel & down home humor describes Gaylon Pope & SweetWater, a trio of vocalists committed to excellence. You will find their harmonies tight and their energy contagious with productions ranging from a Country Variety Stage Show to Oldies & Beach Music to a gospel.  For more information or to hear their music, visit: gaylonpopeandsweetwater.com

Billy Holton and the Soul Shakers... a favorite NC dance band

Billy Holton, founder of the SOUL SHAKERS, along with some very talented musicians has formed one of Eastern N.C favorite dance bands. Billy’s soulful sound produces some very cool lead and funky rhythm’s. Listen to Billy Holton and the Soul Shakers music at: reverbnation.com or check them out at billyholtonandthesoulshakers.com

Saturday - Dancing with the Stars

MUMFEST has its very own version of Dancing with the Stars with performances from local dance studios. Check MUMFEST.com for a complete listing of the very talented groups performing on Saturday.

Saturday - Ministry Center Entertainment - 305 Middle Street              

Rachel Harmatuk PIno's New Bern Suzuki Strings and Dee Dricks Down East Dulcimers are joining forces again this year at Christ Episcopal Ministry Center at 11 a.m. There will be a wide range of music from traditional Suzuki songs, to classical, fiddle tunes and songs from "around the world". Enjoy the Suzuki violin played by the children, the mountain dulcimer group playing their traditional instruments as well as both groups combining talents for a really unique blend. 

ENCORE, Craven Community College Chorus will perform at noon in the Ministry Center following the Suzuki Strings and Down East Dulcimers.

Sunday - The North Carolina Songwriters Co-op takes over as Eastern NC songwriters (members and non-members) perform. Listen to many new original songs and music. Songwriters who are interested in performing can send a recording and website link to bdsyndrome@earthlink.net with a brief bio and contact information. More info coming soon on the exciting lineup of talent performing on Sunday.

Come to MUMFEST by water, trolley or park downtown – however you get here – come join in the fun because there really is something for everyone!

Visit www.mumfest.com to learn more.

Title Sponsor: Joe Alcoke Auto & Truck Center
MUMFEST is produced by: Swiss Bear Downtown Development Corp. – 252-638-5781
www.swissbear@swissbear.org

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

Artist creates 2014 Mumfest logo with bubbly shapes, vivid color

Lisa Bisbee-Lentz, a talented local artist and designer, has created a vibrant new look for Mumfest ’14.

Swiss Bear Downtown Development Corp., the producer of New Bern’s largest outdoor festival each October, invited her back this year to create the new poster design.

“Lisa’s design last year was so popular we couldn’t wait to see where her creativity would lead her in 2014,” said Susan Moffat-Thomas, executive director of Swiss Bear. “To say we are thrilled with the new design would be an understatement. This is hard for me to believe, but 2014 marks our 34th Mumfest. We strive to make every Mumfest special and showcase exciting new entertainment sure to please everyone.”

Bisbee-Lentz, whose arts involvement includes the Greater Good Gallery and ArtCRAWL, said she is always amazed with the festival’s assortment of entertainment downtown.

“I believe design is a visual language, a story or an invitation,” she said. “In this year’s design of Swiss Bear’s Mumfest poster, I wanted to speak of family fun and joyful activity. To tell the story of Mumfest in a visual design, I overlapped bubbly shapes with vivid colors of the mum flower in bloom. The multi-colored geometric circles offer an invitation for all to enjoy the tremendous amount of festivities presented.”

To see more of her art and design, on the web: greatergoodgallery.com or on exhibit at Greater Good Gallery at 228 Craven St. in New Bern.

Mumfest weekend in New Bern attracts upwards of 100,000 festival-goers from across the Southeast.

“Visitors can spend a little or spend a lot with over 300 commercial and nonprofit exhibitors to choose from, including pottery, crafts, art and a tasty variety of savory food,” said Moffat-Thomas. “It fits everyone’s budget with two days of free entertainment, including a wide variety of music from new and exciting bands, dance troupes, magicians, roving street performers, face painters and clowns.”

On the web: mumfest.com  For information, call 638-5781.

The Magic of MUMFEST!

  

MUMFEST weekend, October 12 -13, attracts festival goers from across the southeast to experience this award winning festival located in the restored historic downtown of New Bern, NC. Mumfesters can spend a little or a lot with over 300 commercial and non profit exhibitors to choose from including pottery, crafts, and art. Some might say the temptation is too much when they discover dozens of booths filled with a wide variety of savory foods guaranteed to tempt anyone’s appetite.  

MUMFEST fits all budgets with 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 exciting rides, including a waterfront Ferris Wheel ($).

Talk about exciting rides, what is more exciting than NASCAR? TitleSponsor, Joe Alcoke Auto and Truck Center, is bringing NASCAR to MUMFEST with an exhibit from the Richard Childress Racing Team featuring three famous stock cars, #3, #29, #31 and two racing simulators. That’s right, legendary No. 3 will be at MUMFEST. The two racing simulators will allow Mumfesters to test their driving skill – all for free!

Free family entertainment also features the X-POGO Stunt Team performing the most talented extreme pogo exhibitions in the world! The team is coming straight from POGOPALOOZA in New York City where they just won several world championship titles. These world class athletes fly up to 9 feet in the air, doing flips and other stunts on their high-powered pogo sticks.

Everyone’s MUMFEST favorites are back this year, including Alex Clark, the super funny comedian who performs jaw dropping stunts, the Purina Incredible Dog Team with canine athletes making amazing aerial disc catches, the Silver Drummer Girl, a huge Model Train Show, NBPD’s K-9s will be back along with Weller Kennels Labrador retriever demonstrations.

The out of water 13^th Annual Boat Show is a must see for boaters and wannabe boaters. There’s still plenty of good weather to enjoy a new boat and there is nothing like being out on the water letting your boat drift along with the tide listening to relaxing music.   

More music an be found on Saturday in the Christ Church Ministry at 305 Middle Street with the Fairfield Harbour chorus, ENCORE Craven Community Chorus and Down East Dulcimers / New Bern Suzuki Strings.

The NC Songwriters Co-op will entertain Mumfesters with their original music on Sunday afternoon. If you hope to become a songwriter, the NC Songwriters Co-op members are happy to share helpful tips and offer positive critiques if you bring them examples of your song writing,

All this singing makes everyone thirsty! Wine and beer connoisseurs will enjoy sampling a wide variety of craft wines and beers at the Galley Store’s “Juice on the Neuse Festival” with music and hors d’oeuvres at Persimmons Waterfront Restaurant included in the admission fee. NC grown wines may be sampled and purchased in the elegant Little River Wine Tasting Room on Craven Street ($). The Doubletree by Hilton is hosting its first Beer Garden Festival.

BIG KIDSTUFF and Lil’ Kidstuff is back this year with Poly and Ester, the famous Gabardine Sisters, Steve Myott, a master storyteller and mask maker, Steve Wille and Gary Shelton’s Magic shows and the amazing Zoltan, the levitating man!  Kidstuff is in a new location this year so check the map in the Sun Journal’s MUMFEST tabloid.

Every MUMFEST has lots of chrysanthemums and Tryon Palace serves them up in their magnificent gardens, which are open free Friday throughSunday. The palace also has its bi-annual Heritage Plant Sale on Fridayand Saturday. 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.

On your walk back from Tryon Palace stroll over to see the New Bern Firemen’s Museum to learn New Bern’s fascinating firefighting history.. Be sure to stop by the popular Farmers Market for all kinds of crafts and jellies and jams.

On Sunday morning join in the 5K Run sponsored by the Coastal Women’s Shelter. Registration begins at 7 a.m. at Union Point Park.

Make plans now to come to MUMFEST by water taxi, trolley or park downtown – however you get here – come join the fun because there really is something for everyone!

To learn all about MUMFEST go to www.mumfest.com. 

1981: Promotions bring new life to downtown

Part of a continuing series that appears every other week in the Sun Journal: June 30, 2013

Visitor check out antiques at a
car show in 1980.

Crowds stroll downtown during the
1982 Spring Arts Festival.

The Coastal Christmas Flotilla in 1985
illustrated the downtown's continuing revival.

In March 1981, Kay Williams, Swiss Bear’s first Executive Director was hired and Swiss Bear’s first official office (417A Tryon Palace Drive in a commercial space donated for six months by Earl Finch) opened in a space shared with the Arts Council.  Office furniture/equipment was donated by local banks, businesses and citizens.

With a new director and assistant in place, and the adoption in April of the Main Street Program’s Four Point Approach (promotions, design, organization and economic re-structuring), Swiss Bear was off and running at full swing. Committees were appointed to develop a program of work for each element to begin implementing the Main Street objectives.

The Promotion Committee’s charge (Chairman Martha Smith, Charles Blythe, Gordon Parrott and Ted Hanes) was to expand Swiss Bear’s role in developing quality joint marketing promotions, special events and advertising packages in conjunction with the Chamber, Tryon Palace and the Downtown Merchant Association.  The goal was to provide entertainment with enough community-wide impact and excitement to draw crowds to the downtown area that would encourage people to spend more time downtown, increase the pedestrian traffic and enhance retail revenues.

Taking the Main Street Resource Team’s recommendations to heart, numerous new events and promotions were developed and existing ones expanded to attract larger numbers.

Swiss Bear held Couture D’ Antan, a fashion show, in March.  In April, the 2^nd Annual Swiss Bear Princess Contest brought a capacity crowd of about 500 people to the Saax Bradbury Theatre. Two Swiss Bear costumes were purchased; one given to the high school and one for appearances at promotional events.

Swiss Bear accepted the Arts Council’s request to help generate a large turnout at their May Spring Arts Festival by launching balloons the Saturday before filled with coupons from downtown shops that could be redeemed on the day of the festival.

A Fourth of July Celebration, jointly coordinated by  County and City Recreation Departments, Swiss Bear, Agriculture Extension Service, Jaycees, Ladies of the Craven Civitan Club and Merchants Association began with Mayor Leander Morgan proclaiming it was New Bern’s 204^th Independence Day Celebration. The day included a  parade, numerous activities in downtown and  Bicentennial Park (urban renewal land) including helicopter and pony rides and concluded with a USMC 2d Aircraft Wing Band followed by a fireworks display attended by 10,000 spectators.

A Swiss Bear Antique Car Show in August, held in various downtown parking lots, was funded by various concessions and the raffle of a mini Model T Ford.

The Swiss Bear Festival included Tryon Palace’s Chrysanthemum Sunday as a part of the week-end festivities and the Rescue Squad held a barbeque pig cooking contest. 

Kay worked with the Masonic Order, Footlight/Lollipop Theatres and Pro Musica negotiating the opening of the ca. 1808 Masonic Theatre (closed to the public since the early 1970’s) to be available to group’s for family entertainment.

For the first time, many merchants joined together to do a joint advertising Christmas campaign (radio, TV and ads) promoting downtown as a shopping center. They sponsored a Christmas parade and for the three weeks prior to Christmas, hired a Santa for the Santa House. Downtown street lights were decorated with lighted lanterns and red ribbon bows. Stores stayed open with lighted candle lanterns in front of their shops offering candlelight shopping. The Harvey Mansion Restaurant (recently rehabbed) held a special evening of 19^th Century English entertainment and food in the spirit of a Dickens Christmas the evenings of Tryon Palace’s candlelight tours.

All the joint marketing efforts paid off. The Sun Journal published its second downtown tabloid highlighting downtown’s fall and winter events. The Gazette devoted an issue to the Main Street project and the importance of public/private partnerships. New Bern was featured as a NC Main Street city in Southern Living’s October issue. Three local hotel’s worked with New Bern Guided Tours and Tryon Palace to package special escape week-ends for the January – March off season. Swiss Bear worked on a proposal to market New Bern as the “Southern Surprise” with a tie to Pepsi and its downtown birthplace.

The Martin Agency, Richmond, VA, provided consultation services to assist Swiss Bear’s promotion program and Harry Jacobs (native New Bernian and owner of the agency) met with Kay and the Chamber’s Tourism Task Force with recommendations on developing a strategy to market downtown’s historic district.  Swiss Bear worked with various groups developing a unified calendar of events and began promoting them through the NC Department of Travel and Tourism.

In the mid-1990’s, Swiss Bear’s antique show and Coastal Christmas Celebration and Flotilla (created in 1985) were spun off to other organizations as the growth of the Swiss Bear/MUMFEST required a year round time commitment. In the meantime, the number of groups sponsoring events and promotions has steadily increased playing a vital role in bringing new life, sparkle and activity to downtown.  

The call to action initiated by the 1977 Central Business District Revitalization Plan and the Main Street Program for Swiss Bear and the public and private sectors to work together in a cooperative spirit continues to serve as an important catalyst for investment in our historic downtown.

Susan Moffat Thomas
Executive Director

MUMFEST 2013 Survey - looking for new venues

Lisa Bisbee has designed our new logo ... we love it and hope you do too. The www.mumfest.com website is being updated and vendor applications will soon be mailed to those who participated last year.

We are now looking for new venues to add to the long list of events and activities and retire some that begin to be a bit of a "ho-hum" to festival-goers. To do that, we need your input.

We have a short survey that we would like our readers to fill out and share with friends and family. It is very brief, won't take more than a few minutes of your time and your input will be greatly appreciated.

Please take the survey by clicking here. Thank you!

We look forward to hearing from you.

Susan Moffat Thomas
Executive Director

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

MUMFEST ... a bit of history!

In 1980, as one of the strategies to attract people downtown, Swiss organized and held many activities and events in the downtown area including antique car shows, 4^th of July festivities, reenactments, Easter Egg Hunts, Flag Day Ceremonies and  the Swiss Bear Festival. The Swiss Bear Festival was held on several blocks of Middle Street. Vacant buildings (Belk and Kress) were used for some of the activities such as elementary school art work displays, quilt displays etc. In 1983, the committee invited Tryon Palace to participate as a featured attraction with the fall gardens being opened free to the public. Since the fall gardens displayed thousands of mums, the festival was promoted as the Swiss Bear Chrysanthemum Festival. The gardens were a huge hit. In 1984, the decision was made to drop Swiss Bear from the name and call it the Chrysanthemum Festival. The name remained  until the early 1990’s. As the revitalization effort was moving forward, the festival grew in size, expanding to take in two blocks of Pollock, two blocks of South Front and vacant property on those streets. We continued to hear people commenting they had trouble pronouncing the name, spelling it and men were reluctant to attend as they thought it was primarily a flower show. Even though posters and other promotional material still carried the name Chrysanthemum Festival, it was referred to more and more, simply as the MUMfest. By the mid-1990’s, that name was adopted and the festival is officially known as MUMfest.

As the festival attendance continued to grow, there were serious concerns for the safety of festival-goers due to the intense density. The completion of the new Neuse River Bridge and removal of the old bridge from the foot of Broad Street, led to the City’s request to NC DOT for permission to close Broad from Hancock Street and East Front from Broad to the Cunningham Bridge for the two day event. With their approval, the festival midway area was moved to Broad, East Front and Union Point in 2000.

What began as a modest one day, two-block event is now widely recognized as one of the finest award-winning festivals in the state. It attracts more than 80,000 festival-goers to our historic downtown and waterfront. MUMfest is a city sponsored event produced by Swiss Bear in cooperation with area businesses and nonprofits. This partnership made it possible to expand the festival throughout downtown and along the waterfront. Sponsorships, concession and vendor fees fund the festival. Festival proceeds are used to assist Swiss Bear with downtown revitalization projects.

Swiss Bear greatly appreciates all the support extended by the City, area businesses, volunteers and the community-at-large whose participation make MUMfest possible.

Susan Moffat Thomas                

Executive Director