Mum Fest party to start early this year

New Bern's Chrysanthemum Festival is still several months away, but plans for the annual celebration have already begun to blossom downtown.

The weekend street fair, commonly called the Mum Fest, has drawn visitors to the city for nearly 30 years. The event is set for Oct. 11 and Oct. 12, but this year, organizers are hoping to start the party early.

For the first time, Mum Fest T-shirts, posters and limited-edition magnets will be offered for sale during the summer, ahead of the event itself. Proceeds go toward paying for the event, which is organized by Swiss Bear Downtown Development Corporation and has about 50 other sponsors.

"We always have a lot of requests for the T-shirts and the posters, anyway, so we thought, ‘Why not sell them early?'" said Susan Moffat-Thomas, the executive director of Swiss Bear.

This year's design is "fresh, different and Andy Warhol-like," Moffat-Thomas said. It was created by artist Alicia Hawkins.

The magnets are new this year; the plan is to make this year's the first in a series of collectibles.

The posters, which are usually given out only for promotional purposes, will also be sold to the public this year. The shirts, magnets and posters will be available at Tryon Palace gift shop and at several downtown businesses. Magnets are $5, posters are $10 and T-shirts start at $15.

The festival celebrates flowers, food and entertainment and draws more than 80,000 people to New Bern's waterfront. It has been recognized by the Southeast Tourism Association as one of the top 20 festivals in the Southeast.

 It costs about $175,000 to put together the event. The festival weekend is expected to have a $3.5 million impact on the region.

The plans for the fall event are not finished, but the weekend will include entertainers on an outdoor stage, street performers, a boat show along the waterfront, and more than 300 vendors offering their food and wares.

The chrysanthemums will be in bloom at the Tryon Palace gardens, which will be open free to the public during the festival weekend.

For the first time this year, New Bern developer and pilot Hubie Tolson will present an aerobatics show each day. He will also offer helicopter rides.

Admission to the festival is free.

"We really do try to offer something for every member of the family here," said Danielle Glynn, the administrative assistant at Swiss Bear.

Moffat-Thomas said the event is intended to reach every generation of a family.

"There's so much to see and do here for free," she said. "It really is an affordable weekend for a family."

For more information about the event, go to www.mumfest.com.