Events
What to Do in New Bern This Week: October 5–11, 2026
Four plans shape the rest of this week: Friday's downtown ArtWalk, a free garden visit, MumFest, and a Sunday morning run. You can make any one of them the main outing without trying to fit everything into the same day. The dates below are in New Bern local time. Details were checked October 6; open the organizer's page again before leaving because schedules and availability can change.
Friday evening: choose a few ArtWalk stops
Downtown New Bern ArtWalk runs Friday, October 9, from 5–8 p.m. Craven Arts Council & Gallery describes a free, self-guided walk through more than 30 downtown stops. You do not need to complete the route. Choose a few galleries or shops, then leave time to look at the work or have dinner. Most participating exhibitions are free; purchases and other extras are separate. The Bank of the Arts is showing the Coastal Photo Club and Mum's the Word exhibitions. Check the organizer's current ArtWalk information for participating locations.
Friday through Sunday: visit Tryon Palace's gardens
Fall Garden Lovers Weekend opens the Tryon Palace gardens free Friday and Saturday, October 9–10, from 9 a.m.–6 p.m., and Sunday, October 11, from noon–6 p.m. Interior tours still require a ticket. The gardens can be your whole visit or one stop before another downtown plan. Check Tryon Palace's event page for current access details.
Two related stops may be worth adding. The Fall Heritage Plant Sale is Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., on the Daves House Lawn just inside the Palace main gate; plants are sold separately and stock can change. On Saturday, Try-Yarn offers free spinning and weaving demonstrations at the Commission House. The organizer's event page does not show a program time, so confirm its hours and the Commission House entrance with Tryon Palace before making a special trip.
Saturday or Sunday: make MumFest your main outing
MumFest fills downtown streets and the riverfront Saturday, October 10, from 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m., and Sunday, October 11, from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. General admission is free; food, rides, games, and purchases cost extra. Choose one priority, such as music, a children's activity, or browsing, and let the rest of the day stay flexible. Use the organizer's current schedule to choose a performance; it is marked preliminary.
The organizer recommends free parking and shuttle service from Lawson Creek Park. Its posted shuttle service ends at 9 p.m. Saturday and 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Check the return boarding location before planning dinner after the festival. If accessible parking or boarding is essential, confirm arrangements with the organizer: its published pages name different accessible lots. Sunday's Insider event listing has its own occurrence page. For a fuller visit plan, read our MumFest 2026 Visitor Guide.
Sunday morning: run before the festival opens
The MUMosa 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run starts and finishes at Union Point Park, 210 E. Front Street, on Sunday, October 11. The Fun Run starts at 7:30 a.m. and the 5K at 8 a.m. Registration is required. The race registration page currently lists $20 for the Fun Run and $40 for the 5K, plus processing fees. Check registration availability, packet pickup, and the course before signing up. The race is a separate morning commitment; MumFest's general festival hours begin at 10 a.m.
If you have only a few hours, pick one main outing. ArtWalk and the Palace gardens are free to enter; the race requires registration. This article covers October 5–11, 2026 only. After Sunday, use the current Events page for a new plan.