New Bern is also the birthplace of Pepsi Cola. Pharmacist Caleb Bradham invented the world-renowned soda in a downtown New Bern pharmacy. The site is now the Pepsi Store on Middle Street. Bestselling author Nicholas Sparks also calls the New Bern area home. New Bern is the setting for several of his noted romance novels, so read or re-read them before you travel to New Bern. The Heritage “Walk to Remember” tour highlights locations mentioned in his novels. Maps for that tour and other Heritage walking tours are available at the Inn. While walking the tours, be sure to take note of the more than 150 historic landmarks, most located in the area’s 3 historic districts, as well as the carefully restored historic homes. Other featured attractions of the New Bern area : Sailing, boating and fishing on the Trent and Neuse rivers, downtown art and antiques stores (we have a list). Tours by carriage, trolley and the above Heritage walking tours offering glimpses of history and architecture of New Bern. You may even plan a Ghosts of New Bern, evening guided walking tour. River walk at Union Pt. Park (sunrise picture), Fine restaurants, theatres, unique stores for retail therapy, Fireman’s Museum, Saturday Farmer’s Market and Mitchell’s Hardware Store.

In the summer New Bern hosts free riverfront outdoor concerts, Neuse River days in June, numerous Fourth of July celebrations and August’s Carolinian Shakespeare Festival, and free North Carolina Symphony concerts at the Tryon Palace.

During the fall, visitors enjoy Mumfest, Oktoberfest and the Historic Society’s New Bern at night Ghost Walk. A highlight of the Thanksgiving weekend is the open houses by the downtown merchants, as they are decorated for a “Dickens of a Christmas” start of the season. The Tryon Palace candlelight tours on the second and third Saturday evenings in December are well attended and end with fireworks over the Trent river.