The Barnum Festival, the city’s annual salute to showman P.T. Barnum, is in high gear this weekend with the Jenny Lind concert Thursday at the Bijou Theatre, the fireworks Sky Blast Friday night at Seaside Park with musical simulcast by WEBE 108 FM, Champions on Parade drum corp competition at Kennedy Stadium on Saturday and the Great Street Parade on Sunday starting noon.
Ya just never know what Barnum Festival Ringmaster John Stafstrom will pull out of his top hat! Laura Von Stein, chair of the festival parade, says:
I am ridiculously excited about this year’s parade. We have more floats than ever before and all are re-designed! We have more live music including Javier Colon & the winners of Barnum’s Got Talent vocal competition, DJ Billy Busch & local hip hop talent, Left Field Rhythms, a 9 piece steel drum band, a U2 tribute band “Unforgettable Fire” and more.
There are more helium balloons, new helium balloons in the parade, and 4 HUGE balloons stationed at various locations throughout the parade route. Families are encouraged to take their picture with these balloons.
For the kids, we have more giveaways, we have more candy, more gum, rainbow crayons, flags, mini-beach balls! Everybody in the crowd is going to walk away with something.
We haven’t seen a parade this grand in Bridgeport in decades, and that’s the message I hope you can get out for me. This city and all of our surrounding towns won’t want to miss this parade; it’s going to be a Barnum Blast!
Von Stein is also seeking parade volunteers, including 16 people to stand watch at the balloon sites.
This is a job for someone who is not seeking any glory. It might be a long day. Although, if they would like to dress up as clowns or circus performers and appear w/people posing for pictures, that might be fun. They can make it a family event. Any type of fun parade or circus costume would be grand.
I need patriotic volunteers to pass out candy and American flags with our salute to our military families float. All that is required is for them to show up that morning, specifics to follow, wearing patriotic colors, preferably no logos or wording on their clothes. I will supply their hats and giveaways that morning.
For more information contact the Barnum Festival office 203-367-8495, or email Laura Von Stein at laura@dinardoent.com.
