On Saturday, December 5, the first downtown closure begins at 5 a.m. on South Front Street. The last event on the city's list runs on the river until 8:30 p.m. In between, three events take over the same downtown ground one after another. The Trail to Tryon gets the waterfront at dawn, the City of New Bern Christmas Parade gets George and Pollock streets by midmorning, and the 42nd Annual Coastal Christmas Flotilla gets the Neuse at dusk. Each closure begins before the last one has fully lifted, so the order in which streets close and reopen will shape your day more than any single start time.
5 a.m. on South Front Street
The first closure belongs to runners. Under the City's street-closure schedule, the eastbound lane of South Front Street closes from Walt Bellamy to Metcalf Street from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the Trail to Tryon Holiday Half. The half marathon, 10K and 5K all start at 7:30 a.m. They start and finish south of Tryon Palace beside the Trent River, with 529 S. Front Street listed as the event address, and the course runs through downtown, the waterfront parks and nearby residential streets.
The race is young. It started in 2022, and early in 2025 the Craven County TDA moved it to a December holiday date, renamed it, and hired CRRG Events of Carmel, Indiana, to run it. Weyerhaeuser signed on as the multiyear presenting sponsor, according to a Running USA announcement. The same release said that in 2024, more than half of participants came from outside New Bern. Visit New Bern says the race has sent more than $25,000 in proceeds to American Legion Post 539 over the years to support local veterans.
If you're running, registration on RunSignup is $75 for the half, $55 for the 10K and $40 for the 5K. Prices go up after 11:59 p.m. on November 29, so those rates hold through the Sunday after Thanksgiving. A $45 virtual option is also listed.
Pancakes for PIE starts half an hour before the starting gun. Craven County Partners In Education runs it from 7 to 10 a.m. at Morgan's Tavern & Grill, 235 Craven St., and the restaurant provides the space, food and staff. Proceeds go to PIE's grant programs for Craven County Schools teachers and students, WCTI12 reported. Breakfast ends the same hour the parade steps off a few blocks away.
The Parade Route Runs a Block Longer on Pollock This Year
The parade starts at 10 a.m. on George Street near the New Bern Police Department and moves downtown along George and Pollock streets. Participants register for free, with entries due November 27 at 5 p.m. Spectators don't register.
The streets close in two waves. Staging comes first, then the route itself:
| Event | Streets | Closed |
|---|---|---|
| Trail to Tryon | Eastbound lane of S. Front St., Walt Bellamy to Metcalf | 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Parade staging | 400 to 800 blocks of George St. | 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Parade route | 300 block of George St. | 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Parade route | 200 to 700 blocks of Pollock St. | 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Parade route | 300 block of E. Front St. | 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
The table also shows where the race and the parade overlap. Both have streets closed until 1 p.m., and the race's lane closure on South Front sits just past where the parade route ends on East Front.
Pollock Street is the part that changed. Last year's traffic advisory, reported by WCTI12 on December 5, 2025, covered Pollock from the 200 to the 600 block. This year's City list runs to the 700 block. If you usually watch from the far end of Pollock, you can stand a block farther out this time.
The pavement is newer too. The City's crosswalk improvement project started in May with the east-facing crosswalk at Hancock and Pollock. In June, crews began replacing all four crosswalks at Craven and Pollock. The third phase closed the Middle and Pollock intersection until it reopened on Monday, September 28, with all four crosswalks upgraded, new asphalt and thermoplastic stop bars. The Municipal Service District paid for the work, which its advisory committee recommended and the Board of Aldermen approved. All three intersections are on Pollock, so this is the first Christmas Parade to roll over the new crossings.
Where the Car Goes, and When It Can Leave
With George, Pollock and part of Front closed until 1 p.m., the morning comes down to choosing where to park. The City's parking page lists four free all-day lots: Red Bear, Gold Bear, Black Bear and Brown Bear. On Saturdays, the Gold Bear lot is also the Farmers Market lot, and parking there is restricted from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. That covers the whole race and parade window. The paid Pollock Street lot at Craven and Pollock is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and costs $1 an hour or $8 for the day. The City also notes that events or construction can temporarily change how its lots operate.
If you're staying for the flotilla, the paid lot's 8 p.m. closing matters. It shuts before the end of the 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. flotilla window on the City's listing, so a spot that worked at 9 a.m. may not work at 8 p.m.
The City's Municipal Service District page still lists the Riverwalk Fishing Pier Parking Lot in its permitting phase.
The River Takes Over at 5:30
Once the streets reopen at 1 p.m., downtown has a few hours before the boats. New Bern Parks & Recreation's flotilla listing runs the 42nd Annual Coastal Christmas Flotilla from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Boat registration closes December 1 at 5 p.m., and captains must attend a meeting the evening before, Friday, December 4, at 4 p.m. at Parks and Recreation Administration, 1307 Country Club Road.
Recent years give a sense of how the evening runs. For the 40th flotilla, the City's holiday calendar said boats gathered near the Alfred Cunningham Bridge, went north on the Neuse to Council Bluff Green, turned around and came back. That calendar named the Riverwalk behind the Convention Center and the waterfront from Council Bluff Green south to Union Point Park as viewing areas. Last year's 41st flotilla went ahead at Union Point Park in cold rain, according to WCTI12.
The boats are local. The City's posted 2025 results list these class winners:
- Power, 26 feet and over: Atlantic, then City Slickers, then Mama Tried
- Sail, 26 feet and over: Eva-Marie Storm, then Callisto, then Therapy
- Power, under 25 feet: Treasure Trail, then Shannieliz, then Senior Moment
The 2026 awards ceremony date is listed as TBA.
The Weeks Around December 5
December 5 falls between two other busy downtown stretches: Thanksgiving weekend before it and the Tryon Palace Candlelight Saturdays after it. Here are the dates on either side:
- Friday, November 27: Light Up The Season, 6 to 9 p.m., on Visit New Bern's event calendar. It's also the deadline for parade entries.
- November 27 and 28: Beary Merry's Santa Experience runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 to 9 p.m. both days, with Saturday labeled Small Business Saturday. Reservations are arrival times, not guaranteed appointment times.
- Saturday, November 28: the TITAN Aerobatic Airshow, 4:30 to 6 p.m.
- Friday, December 4: Tryon Palace's Chamber Music by Candlelight, 7 to 9 p.m. in the Council Chamber, followed by a dessert reception at Commission House, 608 Pollock Street. Tickets are $65, or $60 for Foundation members, and only 65 people can attend.
- Friday, December 11: Swiss Bear's Downtown New Bern Live Window Display, 6 to 8 p.m.
- Saturdays, December 12 and 19: Tryon Palace Candlelight. Gates open at 3:30 p.m., and a black-powder fireworks show is planned around 9:30. Tickets are nonrefundable and nonexchangeable.
For parade and flotilla questions, the City's Parks & Recreation office is at (252) 639-2901.
At Turn-Key Realty, we watch street closures like these the same way we watch a listing calendar, because they change how a downtown New Bern home shows on a given weekend. If you're thinking about listing near Pollock, George or Front this winter, we can help you plan showings around the parade and Candlelight dates. And if you're curious what your place is worth before the new year, start with Get Your Home Valuation.
