New Bern's downtown waterfront, seen from a Marine helicopter during MumFest, 2011.Photo: U.S. Marine Corps (opens in a new tab), public domain (opens in a new tab)

Downtown New Bern and the riverfront

MumFest 2026 Visitor Guide: Parking, Shuttle and What to Know

Saturday, October 10, and Sunday, October 11, 2026. Free to attend.

Checked September 29, 2026; the organizer calls its schedule preliminary.

At a glance

Dates and hours: Saturday, October 10, 10 AM to 6:30 PM. Sunday, October 11, 10 AM to 5 PM.
Admission: Free. Rides, games, food, drinks and vendor goods cost extra.
Shuttle: Free from Lawson Creek Park, about every 15 to 20 minutes. Saturday 8:30 AM to 9 PM, Sunday 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM.; Directions
ADA parking: The lot beside 214 Craven Street. A valid handicap placard or plate is required.; Directions
Friday closures: Parts of five downtown streets close starting Friday, October 9, at 5 PM, per the City of New Bern.

Sources:Frequently asked questions (opens in a new tab)Parking and shuttle information (opens in a new tab)Downtown street closures for MumFest (opens in a new tab)

Why go

MumFest is New Bern’s big fall street festival, and it has been going for more than four decades. It began in 1979 as the Swiss Bear Festival, became the Chrysanthemum Festival the next year and has gone by MumFest since the early 1990s. The organizer, Swiss Bear, Inc., calls it one of eastern North Carolina’s largest street festivals and says more than 75,000 people came last year.

Walking in is free. It is also Swiss Bear’s biggest yearly fundraiser, and the organizer says the proceeds go to downtown projects and events.

A brown carriage horse in a studded bridle stands beside a white wrought-iron carriage on a downtown street. — A carriage horse waits on a downtown street during MumFest, 2011.Photo: U.S. Marine Corps (opens in a new tab), public domain (opens in a new tab)

Historic downtown and the riverfront

The festival fills the streets of historic downtown and reaches the riverfront, in a town built where the Neuse and Trent rivers meet. The organizer says mum displays decorate downtown for the weekend, so the trip is as much a walk through town as a day of events.

Small bonsai trees in low pots on a vendor’s table covered with a maroon cloth. — Bonsai trees for sale on a vendor’s table at MumFest, 2008.Photo: “Cool Bonsai trees” (opens in a new tab) by Becky Wetherington, CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab)

Nearly 300 vendors and food trucks

The organizer counts nearly 300 vendors and food trucks. Its own description lists local artists and makers, and food. Bring a little cash or a card: admission is free, but vendor goods, food and drinks cost extra.

A costumed street performer on stilts in a red, white and blue top hat and striped trousers gives a thumbs up. — A costumed stilt walker entertains festivalgoers at MumFest, 2011.Photo: U.S. Marine Corps (opens in a new tab), public domain (opens in a new tab)

Live music, shows and kids’ fun

Live music plays on three named stages. KidsZone has family activities, and the organizer’s activity list also includes a pumpkin patch, amusement rides, a beer garden and the Tryon Palace Fife and Drum Corps.

Mums, the reason for the name

The festival grew out of the chrysanthemums that bloom around New Bern each fall. This year the organizer lists mum sales and a Mum Arch and displays on both days. It does not say where the arch stands, so check the festival map.

The photos on this page are from past festivals, in 2008 and 2011. This year’s vendors, layout and lineup may differ.

Sources:About MumFest and its history (opens in a new tab)MumFest 2026 home page (opens in a new tab)Frequently asked questions (opens in a new tab)Activities list (opens in a new tab)

MumFest fills historic downtown New Bern and the riverfront for two days with live music, food trucks, vendors and family activities. It runs Saturday, October 10, from 10 AM to 6:30 PM, and Sunday, October 11, from 10 AM to 5 PM. Admission is free. Rides, games, food, drinks and vendor goods cost extra.

Confirm anything time-sensitive before you go.

Getting there

The organizer recommends parking at Lawson Creek Park, 1309 Country Club Road, and riding the free shuttle downtown. Use the Pembroke Road and Country Club Road exit off US 70. Shuttles run about every 15 to 20 minutes: Saturday from 8:30 AM to 9 PM, and Sunday from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

Lawson Creek Park shuttle lot

1309 Country Club Road, New Bern, NC

Directions

Downtown street parking is limited and fills quickly, so arrive early. The organizer also names Temple Baptist Church (Saturday only) and the State Employees’ Credit Union as parking lots. It has not named a rideshare drop-off point.

ADA parking is in the lot beside 214 Craven Street. You need a valid handicap placard or plate.

ADA parking lot beside 214 Craven Street

214 Craven Street, New Bern, NC

Directions

The City of New Bern’s closure notice (opens in a new tab) covers October 9 through 11, starting Friday at 5 PM. It affects parts of Broad, East Front, Middle, Craven and Pollock streets and lists each block and its hours. The organizer lists festival hours for Saturday and Sunday only, so expect detours downtown Friday evening.

The organizer posts an official festival map, as an image, at mumfest.com/festival-map/ (opens in a new tab).

Sources:Parking and shuttle information (opens in a new tab)Frequently asked questions (opens in a new tab)Downtown street closures for MumFest (opens in a new tab)Official festival map (opens in a new tab)

What to know

Weather, safety and rules

MumFest runs rain or shine. The organizer has not published a severe-weather plan, so check mumfest.com (opens in a new tab) before you head out. First aid is on Broad Street, with EMS staff on site.

Leave pets at home. The posted rules name dogs, cats and alpacas but do not mention service animals. Questions go to events@swissbear.org.

You can bring water. The organizer discourages other outside food and drink, so plan to buy from the food trucks and vendors. Outside alcohol is not permitted, and coolers are not allowed inside the festival footprint. Inside the festival area, bikes, skateboards, scooters and rollerblades are out, and so are smoking and vaping. The beer garden runs Saturday from 10 AM to 8 PM and Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM.

Music

The organizer’s FAQ names three stages for live music: the North Carolina Education Lottery Music Stage, the Chick-fil-A Community Stage and the Howard and Friends Stage. Its entertainment page schedules the Chick-fil-A Community Stage and the Howard Matthews Memorial Stage, so confirm which stage an act is on. Saturday’s published headliners are Sam Morrow and The Wilder Blue. The lineup also lists Biscuits ’n’ Gravy and Packhouse on Saturday, and The Git Down, The Bonafides, Hoff’n’Finch and Big Jim Kohler on Sunday.

Set times for each act are on the organizer’s entertainment page (opens in a new tab), so check it before you go. The organizer says its schedule may change. The activities page lists the Tryon Palace Fife and Drum Corps at 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM and 2:30 PM on both days.

Kids and other highlights

KidsZone offers family activities, arts and crafts, and story time. The organizer also lists mum displays, a Mum Arch, a Riverside Car & RV Show, a helicopter display, a pumpkin patch and a New Bern Fire & Rescue obstacle course and dunk booth.

The Purina Incredible Dog Team, a law-enforcement K9 demonstration and the ProTown BMX Stunt Show each run several times a day on both days. The organizer lists the exact show times on its entertainment page (opens in a new tab).

Sunday morning: MUMosa 5K and Fun Run

The Fun Run starts Sunday, October 11, at 7:30 AM, and the 5K starts at 8 AM. The city describes the course as partially closed and running through the festival area. Register on the City of New Bern’s race page (opens in a new tab). On September 28, the city listed the 5K at $40 and the Fun Run at $20. A free mimosa waits at the finish line.

Sources:Frequently asked questions (opens in a new tab)Entertainment, stages and show times (opens in a new tab)Activities list (opens in a new tab)Festival schedule (opens in a new tab)MUMosa 5K and Fun Run registration (opens in a new tab)

How New Bern Insider can help

Ready for a sit-down dinner in town? Our dining comparison lets you pick two or three restaurants and view them side by side. If you cannot decide, the Dinner Deal shuffles your picks face down and you flip one. The pick is random, and nothing is booked.

Keep an eye out for New Bern’s painted bears while you are downtown. Our bears page lists all 99, maps the ones it can pin to a host address and can filter to Downtown.

Curious what else is on that weekend? Check our events page.

For anything else, call Tamesha, our AI phone operator, at (252) 675-4098. She looks up local businesses and can connect you to the one you choose, but she cannot book a table. Calls are recorded and transcribed. How the operator works. In an emergency, call 911.

Sources (14)

This guide expires after October 11, 2026.