Fairfield Selectwoman & Andrew Warde High School Graduate Sherri Steeneck Introduced as 1977 Barnum Festival Queen 32 Years Ago Today

Bridgeport's annual Barnum Festival has a rich history and is renowned for its traditional series of well-known events in southwestern Connecticut. Some of the festival's highlights include The Great Street Parade, Champions on Parade, the Ringmaster's Ball, The Road Show, a spectacular fireworks display, the Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren competiton, and the King and Queen judging, to name a few.

Did you know that Fairfield Selectwoman and Andrew Warde High School graduate Sherri Steeneck was the 1977 Barnum Festival Queen? Ringmaster S. George Santa introduced his "royal family" at a luncheon hosted by the Bridgeport Lions Club at the Three Door Restaurant on Madison Avenue 32 years ago today, Wednesday, June 15, 1977.

Members of the Bridgeport Rotary, Civitan, Kiwanis, Exchange, North End and East End Lions Clubs were invited to the Salute to the Barnum Festival event, which featured the presentation of the Ringmaster's top hat by a member of the Lions Club, and the formal introduction of Mr. Santa as Ringmaster by Mayor John Mandanici.

"When I was a kid, we went to the Barnum Festival religiously, and I was always enamored with Lavinia Warren and Tom Thumb," Steeneck told me via email yesterday. "When I was in first grade, you had to write an essay, and they chose the kids from that. I was disappointed that I didn't make it. My mother used to tell me that one day I would be the queen of it," she remembered.

Other than Ringmaster Santa (seen accepting his top hat at left), the 1977 Royal Family included King Kirk Taylor of Central High School, Queen Sherri Steeneck of Andrew Warde High School, alternate King William Platt of St. Joseph High School, alternate Queen Jean Anne Altieri of Derby High School, Joe Kunkel of Trumbull as Tom Thumb, and Erin Marie Regnier of Bridgeport as Lavinia Warren.

Steeneck recalled the events leading up to her selection as Queen of the Barnum Festival. "We had a lot of events, picnics and things, to go to before they selected us, I think to see who would show up," she wrote. "They (the former queens and kings and other muckety mucks who were involved in the festival) also interviewed us. Considering my mother told me that I would get this to make me feel better as a kid, it was particularly poignant that they forgot the camera at home on the selection night. I guess they were fairly certain I would lose, too!"

What else does she remember about being selected? "I remember feeling like a dope because some reporter stuck a microphone in front of me and asked me why I wanted to do this, and I said because I thought it would be fun. Later that evening, I remember thinking that must have sounded like a bad answer, but when I think back to it now, it was both a truthful answer and the best possible answer. If the Barnum Festival wasn't fun, what the heck was it? It turned out to be a lot of fun and culturally interesting as well."

So, what was the reaction from her fellow classmates at Andrew Warde High School after she was chosen as Queen? "Some of my closest friends were there that night," she told me. "They teased me about it a little, but I think (they) were amused and a little proud. Most of the students were oblivious to it."

Steeneck recalled being on a whirlwind tour as Queen of the Barnum Festival. "We went to a Carribean night in downtown Bridgeport in (a) social hall which was awesome. We went to Champions on Parade (with) all the marching bands, a variety of luncheons, photo ops all over the place, (we) went to Fairfield Day, Trumbull Day, and every other day. There was something in all of the surrounding towns. We were theirs from May through the 4th of July," she added.

"The best thing we did was be part of the Road Show," admitted Steeneck, who graduated from Warde in 1977. "We went on the bus with the clowns for a weekend all over the state. We learned how to make balloon animals and went to nursing homes and visited the residents, and we went to Southbury Training School and visited the kids who lived there. It was very gratifying."

Steeneck vividly remembered many of the details of the festival and members of the royal family. "We had to wear heavy purple velvet robes in May and June. I had a tierra, (and) the king, Kirk Taylor, had to wear a crown that looked like they borrowed it from a Parkay commercial," she joked "He also had an afro and it was always perfect. He was continuously picking out the 'dents.' So, he really got annoyed when he had to put that on. Talk about hat hair!

"We routinely teased the alternate king, Bill Platt, and told him he was so good that he should become a priest," she continued. "He was from St. Joe's. That annoyed him because the priests there used to tell him that. When we heard that, we told him that he was so good that if we could vote for Pope we would vote for him. Ironically, he did become a priest, and he studied in Rome for some time."

Steeneck, currently serving on the Fairfield Board of Selectmen, especially enjoyed her role as Queen of the Barnum Festival. "It was a really nice part of my senior year," she admitted. "I met a lot of really nice people and did have a lot of fun. But I really had a great time in high school, especially junior and senior years."

Sherri, the alumni of Andrew Warde High School were proud of you as Queen of the Barnum Festival, and we are proud of you today as a member of the Fairfield Board of Selectmen. Keep up the great work.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".