Thursday, September 9

African American Lecture:  “Movers & Shakers in the African American Community – Past and Present”

7:00 p.m. Visitor Center Auditorium
Free Admission

Panel Discussion:  Featuring distinguished and accomplished African Americans sharing their stories about life and work in the city of New Bern.  Moderated by Dr. David Dennard, ECU Professor of History and Director of the African and African American Studies Program.

September 10 – September 12

Démodé Fashion Weekend

• Friday, September 10

• Saturday, September 11

• Saturday, September 11

• Sunday, September 12

September 17 – September 19

New Bern's 300th Anniversary Jubilee Weekend Events at Tryon Palace

Friday, September 17 and Saturday, September 18, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 19, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Bern-New Bern Exhibit
North Carolina History Center, Duffy Gallery
529 S. Front St. (between Hancock & Metcalf), New Bern
The Bern-New Bern Exhibit celebrates the mother-daughter relationship between Bern, Switzerland and New Bern, North Carolina and the 300th anniversary of the founding of New Bern, North Carolina.  The traveling exhibit is a collaboration between the Historical Museum of Bern; the Swiss American Historical Society; City of New Bern, North Carolina, the New Bern 300th Celebration Committee and the Tryon Palace Commission.

Friday, September 17, 4:30 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.
300th Celebration Convocation
Tryon Palace North Lawn
This gathering officially marks the beginning of New Bern’s 300th Anniversary Jubilee Weekend. Join us as the celebration begins!

Friday, September 17, 5:00 p.m.– 8:00 p.m.
300th Tribute Concert Celebration, Picnic & Jubilee Fireworks
North Carolina Symphony

Tryon Palace South Lawn
Picnic 5:00 p.m.; Concert 6:30 p.m.
Free Admission
This special concert by our own North Carolina Symphony takes place on the South Lawn of Tryon Palace. Bring your picnic and enjoy this historic concert commemorating New Bern's 300th anniversary. Grant Llewellyn, Music Director of the NC Symphony, conducts the world premiere of Welsh composer Gareth Glyn’s Enduring City. The composer will be a special guest at the concert. The exciting program of classic and contemporary milestones also includes North Carolina native Terry Mizesko’s Sundays at Shackleford Banks, Handel’s Water Music, and concludes with Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, set to a spectacular aerial fireworks display . Attendees are asked to bring their own chairs and blankets, but leave pets and alcoholic beverages at home.  

Friday, September 17, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, September 17, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday, September 19, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Bill of Rights Exhibit
North Carolina History Center, 529 E. Front St. (between Hancock & Metcalf), New Bern
Free Admission
North Carolina’s copy of the Bill of Rights, taken from the State Capitol in 1865, and recovered in an undercover operation in 2003, comes to New Bern in honor of the dedication of the new Federal Courthouse on Friday, September 17. September 17-23 is also Constitution week, which Tryon Palace’s first Director, Gertrude Carraway, helped establish in the 1950s.

Saturday, September 18
Speaker: Karen Blum, NC Assistant Attorney General
“The North Carolina Bill of Rights”
North Carolina History Center, Cullman Performance Hall

529 E. Front St. (between Hancock & Metcalf), New Bern
1:00 p.m. Free Admission

Assistant Attorney General Karen Blum discusses the journey of North Carolina’s original “copy” of the Bill of Rights from 1787 to 2008.  The lecture includes the history of the document from its proposal by Congress and transmittal to the state by George Washington in 1789, to its theft by a Union soldier during the Civil War and recovery by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2003.  The presentation also illustrates several of the methods used to identify the Bill of Rights as the original “copy” transmitted by President Washington to North Carolina.  In addition, Bayard v. Singleton is taking place at Tryon Palace twice Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.  At 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., there will be concerts by Craven Consort. All will take place in the Cullman Performance Hall.

Sunday, September 19

African American Historic Downtown Walking Tour

2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $4 Adult, $2 Student.
Tour departs from Visitor Center lobby.

Learn about 300 years of African-American history on a walking tour of New Bern’s historic district. This tour lasts approximately 90 minutes and covers 16 blocks.  Reservations required: 252-514-4935. Minimum enrollment: 10

Thursday, September 23

Garden Lecture

Speaker: Bobby Ward
"Chlorophyll in his Veins: The Biography of J.C. Raulston"
7:00 p.m.
Visitor Center Auditorium

Free admission, thanks to a grant from the Harold H. Bate Foundation
Author Bobby Ward will speak on J. C. Raulston, who was the most important and influential figure in American horticulture in the latter part of the twentieth century. His passion for promoting new plants for landscapes was unmatched. He succeeded in establishing the North Carolina State University Arboretum that now bears his name. Chlorophyll in His Veins is an intimate biography, celebrating the life and accomplishments of one of the most-loved gardening personalities. A book signing will follow this lecture.

Thursday, September 30 – Saturday, October 2

North Carolina Maritime History Council Annual Conference

Conference registration is $105 per person ($65 for full-time students and teachers; documentation required). To register for the conference, please visit the North Carolina Maritime Council’s webpage at www.ncmaritimehistory.org.

Prepare to dive into maritime history September 30 thru October 2 in historic New Bern for the North Carolina Maritime History Council’s annual conference.  This year’s meeting of maritime-minded people promises to please with strong programs. The conference includes the new Tryon Palace North Carolina History Center, a host of intriguing tours, social opportunities, and everything you need to make an exploration into history fun and informative. The program is headed by internationally-know Civil War Naval historian, Craig Symonds.  Author of “Lincoln and His Admirals” as well as numerous other books, articles and reviews, Dr. Symonds is considered one of the best Civil War naval historians.

Saturday, October 2

Fall Family Day:  “Life in a New Colony”

9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Included in Governors Pass ticket

Come learn what it was like to move to a new land and try to build a life there.  Families of all ages can enjoy tours of the Palace and our historic homes as well as interactive crafts, activities and demonstrations.  Bring your picnic lunch and spend time immersed in the past.  Activities are designed for school-age children; some activities have a minimum age requirement. No advance registration needed. 

Sunday, October 3

Free First Sundays

1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Free Garden admission. Tours of historic house museums require a ticket.

Spend the first Sunday afternoon from March through October FREE in the Tryon Palace gardens! The gardens at Tryon Palace will be open to the public at no charge on the first Sunday afternoon of each month through October. Interior tours will also be discounted. For more information, call 1-800-767-1560.

Thursday, October 7

African American Lecture: "Emancipation Communities:
North Carolina Contraband/Refugee Camps during the American Civil War"

Guest Speaker: Michelle Lanier

7:00 p.m.
Visitor Center Auditorium
Free Admission

Enslaved African-Americans saw the Civil War -- the violent tear in the nation’s fabric -- as a thoroughfare to freedom, humanity and self-determination.  By foot, by boat and by wagon, those held in bondage sojourned to environs called James City, Roanoke Island and Freedom Hill.  This lecture will describe and define the concept of the Emancipation Community and the radical distinctions between the notions of “contrabands” and “refugees”.  Additionally, the talk will explore primary documents which illuminate the nature of these hand-hewn homes, as well as the powerful legacies left by those who claimed their own lives in the face of war.

Friday-Sunday, October 8-10

MUMfest Weekend

Gardens open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Free Garden admission. Tours of historic house museums require a ticket.

• Heritage Plant Sale:  Sale hours are 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. 
• Fife & Drum Corps Concerts:  Sunday 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Enjoy performances by the Tryon Palace Fife & Drum Corps.  Concerts take place outside on the Palace grounds.  In case of inclement weather, performances will be held in the Visitor Center Auditorium.

Saturday-Sunday, October 9-10

Heritage Plant Sale

Sale hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. 

Saturdays, October 16

Tryon Palace Theater: WHIT Presents Dracula

1:00 p.m.
$4 per adult, $2 per student; FREE with regular admission
Visitor Center Auditorium

Experience the chills of a 19th-century Gothic classic while enjoying the magic of radio in its heyday. Step back in time and become the studio audience to a 1940s radio drama at New Bern’s very own radio station, WHIT.

Sunday, October 17

African American Historic Downtown Walking Tour

Leaves from the Visitor Center Lobby
$4 per adult, $2 per student

Learn about 300 years of African-American history on a walking tour of New Bern’s historic district. This tour lasts approximately 90 minutes and covers 16 blocks.  Reservations required: 252-514-4935. Minimum Enrollment: 10

October 22 – 23

Grand Opening of the North Carolina History Center 

Friday, October 22, 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 23, 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Sunday October 24, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Grand Opening of the North Carolina History Center at Tryon Palace
North Carolina History Center, 529 E. Front St. (between Hancock & Metcalf), New Bern

Tryon Palace Grounds & Gardens
This weekend will be the GRAND OPENING of the North Carolina History Center! More details to come. Check for updates as added at www.tryonpalace.org.

October 29 - October 30

Ghostwalk

Friday, October 29 - Saturday, October 30
5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the tour; tickets available by calling the New Bern Historical Society at (252) 638-8558 or online at www.newbernhistorical.org.  Ghostwalk ticket holders can get a $3 discount off regular adult admission to Tryon Palace. Sponsored by the New Bern Historical Society, this year’s Ghostwalk celebrates New Bern’s 300 years of history.  Tryon Palace locations include the New Bern Academy Museum Green and the North Carolina History Center’s Karen Rand Waterwalk.

October 30

Tryon Palace Theater: WHIT Presents Dracula

North Carolina History Center, Cullman Performance Hall
1:00 p.m. $4 per adult, $2 per student; Free with regular admission.

Experience the chills of a 19th-century Gothic classic while enjoying the magic of radio in its heyday. Step back in time and become the studio audience to a 1940s radio drama at New Bern’s very own radio station, WHIT.

Winter Garden Hours
November 1 - December 31, Gardens open until 5:00 p.m.
Last ticket sold at 4:30 p.m.

November 6

Garden Lecture: Speaker: Helen Yoest

“Fallscapes – Adding Fall Interest to your Garden”
North Carolina History Center, Cullman Performance Hall

10:00 a.m.
Free admission, thanks to a grant from the Harold H. Bate Foundation.

Fall gardening seems to be the forgotten season, yet it is the best time to be in the garden to enjoy the sights, sounds and colors. It is also the best time to prepare for the next growing season. Helen’s presentation will cover designing fallscapes, suggests plants and plant combinations to extend the growing season past first frost, and tackles tasks to be done in the fall to tuck your garden in for the winter and how to add more WOW for your spring garden.

Thursday, November 11 - Sunday, November 14

Defending New Bern: 300 Years of Stewardship

Thursday, November 11 - Sunday, November 14;
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Thursday - Saturday and 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday

Free admission for all active duty and military veterans with the presentation of their military ID.

A special salute to the military men and women who have defended eastern North Carolina for over three centuries! Learn their stories while touring our historic homes and attending special programs and children’s activities in the North Carolina History Center.   

Irene Smalls, referred to as Lady Jonkonnu, is an author, storyteller and historian.  Among numerous other accomplishments, Ms. Smalls is a former Miss Black New York State.  She is a graduate of Cornell University majoring in Black Studies and has an MBA from New York University.  She resides in Boston, MA with her family.

Sunday, November 21

African American Historic Downtown Walking Tour

2:00 p.m.
$4 per adult, $2 per student
Leaves from the Visitor Center Lobby

Learn about 300 years of African-American history on a walking tour of New Bern’s historic district. This tour lasts approximately 90 minutes and covers 16 blocks.  Reservations required: 252-514-4935. Minimum Enrollment: 10

Friday, November 26 – Friday, December 31

Daytime Holiday Tours: Three Centuries of Christmas Cheer in the ‘Athens' of North Carolina

Experience the Christmas customs found in New Bern throughout its 300 years!  Celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with the Royal Governor’s household, help the Hay family prepare for their holiday season, or make an ornament like one that your grandparents may have hung on their tree.  Special theater programs, tours and craft activities will take place throughout the month.  Holiday decorations from multiple centuries will be displayed and interpreted in our historic houses and the North Carolina History Center. 

Friday, November 26 - Sunday, November 28, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Friday - Saturday and 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday

Festive Holiday Kick-Off

All activities are included with regular admission or you can purchase a ticket for each individual activity.  Refer to each activity for individual prices.
Join us as we kick off the holiday season on Thanksgiving weekend. Christmas decorations are up in the Palace and in our three historic houses. Holiday tours of the festooned gardens and bedecked halls and special activities officially launch us into the Christmas season. Check back later at www.tryonpalace.org for specific performance information.

• Friday, November 26, 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

History of Holiday Music
North Carolina History Center, Cullman Performance Hall
$6 per adult, $3 per student, included with regular admission
Join historian and musician Simon Spalding as he explores the history and culture of the holiday music we love.

• Friday, November 26, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Help us trim our tree! 
North Carolina History Center
Free Admission
Get in the holiday spirit by making an ornament for the North Carolina History Center’s Christmas tree.  Drop by the History Center anytime between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to help make a decoration.  This activity is free and for all ages!

• Friday, November 26, 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Holiday Stories
North Carolina History Center, Cullman Performance Hall
$6 per adult, $3 per student, included with regular admission
Join Storyteller Terry Rollins as he shares holiday stories from the past. This program is open to all ages. 

• Saturday, November 27, 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

History of Holiday Music
North Carolina History Center, Cullman Performance Hall
$6 per adult, $3 per student, included with regular admission
Join historian and musician Simon Spalding as he explores the history and culture of the holiday music we love.

• Saturday, November 27, 11:00 a.m.

Victorian Ornament Workshop
North Carolina History Center
Learn the history and art behind Victorian Christmas ornaments while you make one of your own.  Due to skill and supplies, this activity is geared toward ages 14 to adult.  Reservations and prepayment required by November 26th. Payments received after November 12th by credit card only. Call (252) 514-4935 to register.
(Minimum enrollment: 10; maximum enrollment: 25)

• Saturday, November 27, 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Holiday Stories
North Carolina History Center, Cullman Performance Hall
$6 per adult, $3 per student, included with regular admission
Join Storyteller Terry Rollins as he shares holiday stories from the past. This program is open to all ages. 

• Saturday, November 27, 2:00 p.m.

Children’s Historical Ornament Workshop
North Carolina History Center
Included with regular admission or $6 per adult, $3 per student.
Make a Christmas tree ornament similar to those made by children over 100 years ago!  This activity is geared for youth but open to all ages. 

• Sunday, November 28, 2:00 p.m.

History of Holiday Music
North Carolina History Center, Cullman Performance Hall
$6 per adult, $3 per student, included with regular admission
Join historian and musician Simon Spalding as he explores the history and culture of the holiday music we love.

• Sunday, November 28, 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Holiday Fife & Drum Concert
North Carolina History Center, Cullman Performance Hall
Free Admission
Enjoy a special holiday concert by Tryon Palace’s Fife & Drum Corps.

December 11 & December 18

Grand Illumination

5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Tickets will be sold for specific tour time slots and are good for evening activities, only.

$20 per adult, $10 per student
Experience an eighteenth-century candlelit Christmas celebration! The evening program includes a tour through the Palace (and perhaps a word or two with the Governor), performances by Tryon Palace’s Fife and Drum Corps and Jonkonnu troupe, and an assortment of other performers. The evening ends with a grand illumination over the South Lawn.

Tuesday, December 21, 6:30 p.m.

 ‘Twas the Day before Christmas

North Carolina History Center Cullman Performance Hall
$6 per adult, $3 per student; included with regular admission.

Join Mrs. Lee as she bustles through her Christmas Eve preparing for the big day of festivities to come.  Enjoy Victorian Christmas traditions through this theatrical performance, which includes a special rendition of A Visit from St. Nicholas.  Fun for all ages! Cider and cookies will be served starting at 6:00 p.m. prior to the performance. 

Friday, December 24-Sunday, December 26

Seasons Greetings!  Tryon Palace is closed in honor of the holidays.