The Circus is Coming to Town! by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society If you were living in New Bern in 1884, what would you do for entertainment? You might attend concerts and plays at the Masonic Theater, take part in boat excursions or picnics organized by a civic group or church, or if you were lucky, you might even get to see a parade. In November of 1884, like so many small towns in America during the 19th century, New Bern was anticipating the arrival of family entertainment on a grand scale. The circus was coming to town! The John Robinson Circus was a favorite of the New Bern community, and word of their arrival was eagerly anticipated. The Robinson circus ...