From Mike Mayko, CT Post:
The Barnum Festival began with a blast of fireworks Friday night and ended Sunday afternoon with a boom–actually hundreds of booms, coming from all kinds of drums as the Great Street Parade marched along Park Avenue.
In between, there were bobbleheads–500 of Ringmaster Paul Timpanelli given away at Saturday’s Bluefish baseball game–ballads performed by future stars at the sold-out Bijou Theatre’s “Barnum’s Got Talent,” and brassy buglers blowing in Kennedy Stadium’s “Champions on Parade” competition.
Full story here.
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The weather on weekends has been terrific for more than a month. So fireworks went off with pre-boom music attractions at Seaside but the sky was filled with explosive colors that matched the country flags driven around the City as respective proud residents celebrated World Cup wins. And the Bijou Theater hosted a capacity audience for 20 singers in four categories: Age 11-13, 14-18, 19-25, and 26 and above. Each category had one winner provided with a large trophy and a check for $500. Real talent and in the final category a man, age 70, who reprised Frank Sinatra’s “I Did It My Way,” certainly an appropriate salute to PT Barnum and to most Bridgeport Mayoral histories.
I attended the Central HS graduation last week during the day. That evening the Harding HS graduation followed at Kennedy Stadium followed by Bassick the next day, I think. I was surprised the Mayor did not attend the Central HS event as his name was on the program. It gave John Fabrizi a chance to comment on his graduation at the same event 40 years previously. I subsequently heard Mayor Finch was not at the other two High School events, perhaps because a fund raising event took precedence.
Speaking of missing persons, I am surprised we have not heard from Steve Auerbach yet. Where did he eat this past weekend? How good was it, Steve? Time will tell.
The Barnum Festival does a good job with The Annual Barnum Festival Great Street Parade and other events but I do have a big issue, the City and The Barnum Festival does NOTHING on this country’s birthday, July 4th, no parade, celebrating nothing. The biggest city in the state has nothing on the 4th of July. Yes, there were flaws in the beginning with the constitution but this is the greatest nation ever and our City does nothing to celebrate the founding of this country, sad, sad, sad.