New Bern North Carolina - Pepsi, Bears, History and Much More...
July 24, 2011 - 5:51pm
Actually, Tryon Palace is as good a place as any to start, because it’s where all things past - join with today’s technology to offer a living history experience. It’s actually comprised of several oft-visited sites. The Governor’s Palace, a Georgian-style structure built in 1770 for Royal Governor William Tryon and his family; the North Carolina History Center, which is “anything but a stuffy museum,” say its promoters, and includes live performances of historic events as well as multimedia exhibits; theDuffy Exhibit Gallery, which in 2011 is hosting “Bern New Bern,” an international exhibit celebrating the relationship of New Bern to its mother city, Bern, Switzerland; the Pepsi Family Center, which will transport you back to 1835 to sail a ship, distill turpentine in the forest, help piece together a quilt, help customers in a dry goods store, or help publish that day’s newspaper, all via interactive exhibits; the Cullman Performance Hall; and numerous historic homes, plus acres of manicured gardens throughout the property and along the riverfront (and there’s no admission to the gardens on the first Sunday afternoon of each month from March through October). If you need more proof that Tryon Palace is, indeed, living history - and more – here’s a glimpse of what’s scheduled there throughout the summer and fall of 2011: 
Meanwhile, the summer and fall are great times to visit some great places in and near New Bern, North Carolina. The Birthplace of Pepsi on Middle Street is where pharmacist Caleb Bradham invented “Brad’s Drink,” which later he patented as Pepsi Cola. Also on Middle Street is the Bank of the Arts, a circa 1913 bank that’s now home to the Craven Arts Council and Gallery, and features changing exhibits of various media such as painting, sculpture, photography, pottery, and fiber art by artists of the southeastern U.S. While on Middle Street, hop onto one of the trolleys run by New Bern Tours for a 90-minute tour that includes a visit to the New Bern Academy Museum. Or try an evening tour offered by Carolina Carriage & Tours of New Bern’s downtown historic district or riverfront.
For most communities along or near the coast, water is the lifeblood of their economies – swim in it, sail on it, fish from it. Bad weather means bad business. But in New Bern, North Carolina, there’s more to life than sand and sea.
There’s 160,000 acres of forests, 300 years of history, a number of bears and, quite possibly, a few ghosts. In fact, one spirit is alive and well in New Bern – that of William Shakespeare, who comes to life each summer in the form of the Carolinian Shakespeare Festival. For 2011, Shakespeare’s tale of Othello - the noble Moor who loved not wisely but too well – is performed every Thursday-Sunday in August, at Cullman Performance Hall, part of the North Carolina History Center at Tryon Palace.
And, it’s almost as though New Bern has heeded the words of The Bard himself, when he wrote, "This above all: to thine own self be true." (Hamlet: Act I, Scene III). New Bern is true to its roots as North Carolina’s first state capitol, the state’s second oldest city; and home to the original Pepsi. But New Bern is so much more than history, as you’ll soon discover.
Actually, Tryon Palace is as good a place as any to start, because it’s where all things past - join with today’s technology to offer a living history experience. It’s actually comprised of several oft-visited sites. The Governor’s Palace, a Georgian-style structure built in 1770 for Royal Governor William Tryon and his family; the North Carolina History Center, which is “anything but a stuffy museum,” say its promoters, and includes live performances of historic events as well as multimedia exhibits; theDuffy Exhibit Gallery, which in 2011 is hosting “Bern New Bern,” an international exhibit celebrating the relationship of New Bern to its mother city, Bern, Switzerland; the Pepsi Family Center, which will transport you back to 1835 to sail a ship, distill turpentine in the forest, help piece together a quilt, help customers in a dry goods store, or help publish that day’s newspaper, all via interactive exhibits; the Cullman Performance Hall; and numerous historic homes, plus acres of manicured gardens throughout the property and along the riverfront (and there’s no admission to the gardens on the first Sunday afternoon of each month from March through October). If you need more proof that Tryon Palace is, indeed, living history - and more – here’s a glimpse of what’s scheduled there throughout the summer and fall of 2011:If music on the 4th of July left you whistling for more, there are workshops every Tuesday and Thursday in July for Fife & Drum Corps wannabes. You might even be recruited by the Revolutionary Army to play at one of numerous events throughout the year (if you’re planning to become a resident, of course). The Corps is already booked for one gig – theStanly-Spaight Duel, or, rather, a re-enactment of the 1802 “gentlemen’s” match between a prominent New Bern lawyer and former governor, to be held Sept. 5 at New Bern Academy Green.
One Sunday every month, you can learn about 300 years of African-American history on a walking tour of New Bern's historic district. The tour, which covers 16 blocks, lasts approximately 90 minutes. And, every other month from July through November, at Cullman Performance Hall, the African-American Lecture Series brings academics, historians and civil rights leaders to take attendees back to Civil War times to meet the people (well-known and unknown) involved in the efforts to abolish slavery: No Quarter (July 21) details why African American Union soldiers feared capture more than death; The Spirit of Frederick Douglass (Sept. 15) delves into the speeches and letters of the man who took his efforts to the top – a meeting with Abraham Lincoln; and The First Year of Freedom in North Carolina (Nov. 17) will use first-hand accounts to re-create that historic period.
Looking for ways to make people “green with envy” about the retirement or vacation home you’ve purchased (or are considering)? You’ll get plenty of “green thumbs-up" at Tyron Palace’s horticultural happenings: On Aug. 20 in Cullman Performance Hall,Bringing Bits of Eden to the South features regional gardening guru Felder Rushing, who will share “green” technology, including from England’s unique Eden Project. And, on Oct. 7-9, “MUM’s the Word’ at Tryon Palace. A three-day MUMfest Weekend will feature thousands of chrysanthemums in the Palace gardens. Free informal garden tours will be given each day. And, on the grounds of the Governor’s Palace that same weekend is theAnnual Heritage Plant Sale, with perennials, herbs, annuals, trees, and shrubs grown in its greenhouse for sale, and master gardeners will be on hand to answer questions.
Elsewhere in New Bern, North Carolina, there’s enough entertainment through the summer and fall to leave even ardent fans struggling to keep pace. Each month, from July through December, is the Bear City Opry at the Masonic Theater; it’s a musical show that’s billed as “fun for the whole family” and features “live music of all kinds, played like you heard in the good old days.” Similarly, the Golden Age of Radio returns Oct. 1, when the North Carolina History Center hosts The Monkey’s Paw, an adaptation of W. W. Jacobs' harrowing tale of three wishes gone horribly wrong; it’ll be performed in “radio style,” with voice actors and sound effects artists.
A more contemporary return to the past will happen Aug. 13 at Grover C. Fields Performing Arts Center Auditorium, when the 1964 Beatles Tribute takes the stage in what Rolling Stone Magazine called the "Best Beatles Tribute on Earth." Then, on Sept. 16, the History Center’s Mattocks Hall hosts Barbershop, Bluegrass and Barbeque, a night of toe-tappin', knee slappin' music complemented by Tommy Moore's barbeque. If, to you, symphonic music is a “classical gas,” the North Carolina Symphony will perform Schubert selections Sept. 18 and a Holiday Pops concert Dec. 15, both at the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center. The performing arts spotlight for 2011 was on the historic Athens Theatre as it hosted The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon July 8-16, when two narrators attempted to combine all 209 Brothers Grimm fairy tales in a wild, fast-paced extravaganza; and Gypsywill run July 21-31 at the Masonic Theatre. And at the New Bern Civic Theatre, there are dramas, comedies, musicals and even performances in sign language planned throughout the year.
Meanwhile, the summer and fall are great times to visit some great places in and near New Bern, North Carolina. The Birthplace of Pepsi on Middle Street is where pharmacist Caleb Bradham invented “Brad’s Drink,” which later he patented as Pepsi Cola. Also on Middle Street is the Bank of the Arts, a circa 1913 bank that’s now home to the Craven Arts Council and Gallery, and features changing exhibits of various media such as painting, sculpture, photography, pottery, and fiber art by artists of the southeastern U.S. While on Middle Street, hop onto one of the trolleys run by New Bern Tours for a 90-minute tour that includes a visit to the New Bern Academy Museum. Or try an evening tour offered by Carolina Carriage & Tours of New Bern’s downtown historic district or riverfront.Of course, if you feel “tugged” to tour using something other than your feet, a trolley or carriage, then follow your urge – take a tug boat cruise along the Neuse and Trent rivers from Randy’s Water Cars & Tug Boat Cruises at the marina. Or, for a true “bird’s-eye view,” consider Crystal Coast Helicopter Tours, based at Coastal Carolina Regional Airport. And, to stretch your (aviation) wings, visit the Havelock Tourist & Event Center USMC Aviation Exhibit, just south of downtown New Bern. It features an aviation exhibit that highlights Marine Corps aviation in Eastern North Carolina, with four aircraft on loan from the U.S. Marine Corps and Department of the Navy. There’s also a waterfront park along Slocum Creek featuring a nature boardwalk and boat ramp.
If you stop by the weekly Farmer’s Market for fresh locally-grown produce and fantasize about a day at a farm, then a short drive to nearby Cove City might be just the ticket. At 183 Woodrow McCoy Road is A Day at the Farm, where you’ll see historic dairy barns, milking equipment and period antiques, as well as farm animals, fish and duck pond and, depending on the season, a pumpkin patch or peanut patch. And, if that makes you want to experience more of what nature has provided those who live in or near New Bern, it’s time you spent some time – as much time as you want – at Croatan National Forest, just south of town. Its 160,000 acres provide outdoor recreation opportunities ranging from camping and picnicking to hiking, hunting and fishing. The Croatan has been nationally recognized for its trails and recreation opportunities. Also, since 2011 is the 150thanniversary of start of the Civil War, history buffs might like to know that the forest was one site of a battle that was fought in New Bern during that period.
Carolina Colours, a residential golf course development located in New Bern has been a quality community for folks to consider for those who are looking to retire and relocate to New Bern or choose this historic town for their second home. With an 18 hole golf course, completed clubhouse and a welcoming atmosphere amongst the residents, Carolina Colours has enjoyed the success of its attractive location in New Bern. There is a selection of wooded and golf course lots to purchase with no time frame to build a custom designed home as well as already built homes that range in price from the mid $200's to over $800,000.
Now, back to the beginning of this piece… Remember the bears? Blame it on a baron – a homesick one, at that. In 1710, Baron Christopher de Graffenried founded the city, naming it after his hometown, Bern, Switzerland. And we’re told that “bern” means “bear.” So, it stands to reason that, coinciding with New Bern’s 300th anniversary, some 50 fiberglass bears, each uniquely hand-painted by local artists, are spread throughout New Bern, and each has an interesting story to tell you. Just follow the tracks.
And about the “ghosts” mentioned earlier… Hey, a 300-year-old city’s bound to have spirits (and we’re not talkin’ 80-proof spirits here). To find out for yourself, let Ghosts of New Bern take you on an hour-long walking tour, past haunts – er, buildings – and streets rumored to have ghostly presence…
But how do New Bern residents spend their summers and falls? Lee Wilson Bettis, Jr. says, “On warm summer nights after a long day, I load the family on our skiff and head up the river for a night of fishing, shrimping, or just watching the painted sunset give way to a million stars…” His day-job? Mayor of New Bern.
For more information on the New Bern area or Carolina Colours development, send your inquiries to info@southeastdiscovery.com and we'll get back to you with a prompt reply.
