Why would a city build a cul-de-sac when everyone just wanted a place to park near the fishing pier? Mayor Jeffrey Odham answered that in September. When NCDOT removed the old Bridgeton Bridge, the state gave New Bern an easement that extends Broad Street across the corner lot the bridge used to cut through diagonally. Under that easement, the city can't build a parking lot there. So it is building a street that ends in a cul-de-sac.
That detail sums up downtown New Bern this fall. Rules most people never see are deciding how the work gets done, the money comes from downtown itself, and several projects are being finished on the same blocks the city closes for MumFest at 5 p.m. on October 9. Here is each block's status as of the most recent local reports, which date from mid-to-late September.
The Pier Street Downtown Is Paying For
The Broad Street fishing pier opened Memorial Day weekend 2025. It cost $234,000, and donations helped cover it. Since then, according to WITN, people have been parking at Persimmons, The Galley Store, or on the grass. The mayor told WCTI that was never meant to be the long-term plan.
The land under the extension used to belong to the Sudan Shriners. Craven County owns it now. The funding is the part most people don't know about. The city isn't paying for the street out of its general budget. The money comes from the downtown Municipal Service District, where property owners pay an extra tax for downtown projects and services. The district's advisory board voted unanimously to spend it on the pier project.
"The public has asked for more access to the water and that is what we delivered," Odham wrote in a Facebook post quoted by WITN.
The restroom plan has also changed. A WCTI roundup on September 7 described a "new permanent bathroom" between the lot and the pier. By September 22, the mayor was describing a mobile restroom facility that can be removed before a storm. He said it "will not consist of portable toilets." The later version is the current plan. Ward 1 Alderman Trey Ferguson said on September 14 that crews had finished stormwater and streetlight work at the site, with concrete tie-ins and final grading expected the following week. No report so far says the street is finished.
Three Blocks Up, the Same Race Against the Calendar
The Middle and Pollock intersection, next to the Birthplace of Pepsi and the Elks building, closed in late August for crosswalk work. WITN reported then that the city expected it to take about a month, and a local business owner expected it to be done in time for MumFest. As of September 14, Ferguson said the concrete slabs had been poured and were curing, with brick installation next.
Bear Plaza on Middle Street is going through its own rebuild. The big bear that stood in the middle of the plaza was "hibernating by the wall" in early September, with a new perch set up in the corner. Pavers were scheduled to go into the bear's old spot that week to open up more usable space. The city's Municipal Service District page lists an information kiosk installed at Bear Plaza.
At the river end of Broad Street, a new wall around the Sudan Shriners statue was "mostly complete" as of September 7. Its bookend toppers are replicas of the old Shriners building's rooftop, the one people have called an ice cream cone, a cupcake, an onion, and a Hershey's Kiss.
| Project | Location | Last reported status | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brick crosswalk | Middle and Pollock streets | Slabs poured and curing, bricks next | Sept. 14 |
| Bear Plaza pavers | Middle Street | Pavers scheduled "this week" | Sept. 7 |
| Broad Street extension | By the fishing pier | Stormwater and lights done, grading next | Sept. 14 |
| Mobile restroom | Between the cul-de-sac and the pier | Next phase, removable before storms | Sept. 22 |
| Shriners statue wall | Near the traffic circle | Mostly complete | Sept. 7 |
None of these has a published completion notice yet. If you walk downtown this week, you may find some of this work finished and some still behind fencing.
The Storefronts Waiting on the Same Finish Line
Restaurants are moving through their final steps on the same blocks. As of WCTI's September 7 roundup:
- The Middle, a tapas restaurant in the former Pinky's space on Middle Street, had window art to match its awning, and the owners were aiming to open by the end of fall.
- The restaurant next to Cypress Hall Kitchen + Bar had a concept settled and interior construction underway. WCTI said the name and concept would likely be announced "in the next month or two."
- New Bern Coffee Roasters, at the corner of Middle and South Front streets, was getting ready for its one-year anniversary and planning to reopen the old Rudy's rooftop for breakfast.
- El Patio, in the former Country Biscuit on Broad Street, was ready to open except for a kitchen hood it was waiting on crews to install.
Outside the historic district, the same report said Bamboo Quick & Fresh at 3820 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard needed only a final inspection. Smithfield's new building on MLK was aiming for the end of October after rain slowed construction. We haven't found a confirmed opening date for any of these since then, so check each business's own channels before you go.
Then MumFest Closes the Same Streets
MumFest runs October 10 and 11. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free, but rides, games, food, and vendors cost extra. The street closures start the evening before and cover most of the blocks in the table above. According to the city's notice, these blocks close from 5 p.m. October 9 until 11 p.m. October 11:
- Broad Street, 200 to 400 blocks
- East Front Street, 200 to 300 blocks
- Middle Street, 200 to 300 blocks
- Craven Street, 200 to 300 blocks
- Pollock Street, 300 to 400 blocks
The 200 block of Craven and the 100 to 200 blocks of Pollock have limited access from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on both festival days. The festival recommends free parking at Lawson Creek Park. Free shuttles run every 15 to 20 minutes, from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday. The parking page and the festival FAQ list different alternate and accessible lots, so check mumfest.com before you drive in.
Swiss Bear, Inc. produces the festival in partnership with the city. This year it's promoting more than 250 vendors and a new KidsZone. Sam Morrow and The Wilder Blue headline Saturday. Local acts include Biscuits 'n' Gravy, Packhouse, The Git Down, The Bonafides, Hoff 'n' Finch, and Big Jim Kohler. The headliner set times don't match across sources. The entertainment page lists 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., and the September 21 release lists 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Other attractions include ProTown BMX, the Purina Incredible Dog Team, and law enforcement K9 demonstrations. Rides and the beer garden stay open until 8 p.m. Saturday. The MUMosa 5K is running a new route through the festival area this year, with a free mimosa at the finish.
If you'd rather avoid the busiest blocks, Tryon Palace's Fall Garden Lovers Weekend runs October 9 to 11 with free admission to the gardens. They're open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. The Fall Heritage Plant Sale is on the Daves House Lawn October 9 and 10, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
After the Mums, a Slower Way Through the Same Blocks
Ghostwalk, the New Bern Historical Society's 36th annual event, runs October 22 to 24 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Guided stops at Cedar Grove Cemetery come first, followed by a self-guided walk past downtown porches and selected buildings. This year's theme is "Voices of Freedom." The second half of the title appears as "Stories from 250 Years" in one listing and "Tales from 250 Years" in the Society's release. The event also uses the area behind the Attmore-Oliver House.
Ticket prices:
- $17 for members, active-duty military and their families, and students with ID
- $20 advance for nonmembers
- $25 for adults on the day of the event
- $5 for children ages 3 to 12, and free for children under 3
Tickets are sold online, by phone at 252-638-8558, and at the Society's office at 511 Broad Street. You'll need a paper ticket, which you can pick up at that office or at the Will Call tent. The Society's September 5 release also lists the New Bern Harris Teeter stores and Mitchell Hardware as ticket outlets.
Bear Feet Street Tours offers a daytime history walk. Lindsey Able started the guided tours in March. The Feature Tour covers about a mile of the residential district and takes about an hour and a half. Tours leave from outside New Bern Goods at 301 Pollock Street. A Legacy Tour was planned for fall and a kid-friendly Adventure Tour for spring 2027. Neither newer tour has a confirmed launch date yet.
The city's Christmas Parade page still says to "check back soon" for 2026 details.
If you own property inside the downtown Municipal Service District, part of your tax bill is paying for this work, from the pier street to the brick crosswalk, and finished public spaces like these could come up when it's time to price your home. Turn-Key Realty can show you how nearby improvements fit into a valuation. Get Your Home Valuation, and we'll give you a straight read on what your downtown New Bern home is worth.
