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Peter Hurst, the first African-American Barnum Festival
Ringmaster and the 56th overall, grew up in Texas and is used to
thinking big. And he’s already thinking of ways to make the Festival bigger
and better.
His vision includes drawing in a larger number of
Blacks and Hispanics in the greater Bridgeport area and more tourists from
around the state. With strong ties to the minority communities, Hurst has
already enlisted new volunteers, who will bring additional friends and
relatives to Festival events. Recently at Hurst’s church, Mt. Aery Baptist,
Dr. Anthony Bennet, the church’s pastor announced to the congregation that
Hurst was recently named the first African-American Ringmaster, which
brought a spirited round of applause. After church, several parishioners
approached Hurst to volunteer for the Festival.
As the founder and President of Community’s Bank in
Bridgeport and a branch in Bloomfield, Hurst, 48, has received additional
support form his employees and customers.
“People I know and run into in church or around town
are excited and want to get involved,” Hurst said. “The more people the
better. It brings new blood into the Festival, which is good.”
Through marketing and planning, Hurst wants to expand
the Festival’s appeal. Many might consider the Festival a Greater Bridgeport
event, but he thinks people from all over the state could find it appealing.
He points out that current events such as, the Antique Car Show, Polo Match,
Skyblast and Great Street Parade offers fun destinations for all state
residents. He hopes to introduce new events that will showoff not only the
rich diversity of Bridgeport, but also the ongoing renaissance of Downtown.
“Geographically, Connecticut is a small state, and you
can drive from Bridgeport to Hartford in an hour,” Hurst said. “If we market
the festival correctly, we can probably draw people from
upstate and downstate to more events. The Barnum Festival offers something
for everyone.”
A graduate of Harvard Law School, Hurst views the
Festival as a great potential economic development tool for Bridgeport. He
has witnessed a momentum underway in the downtown with the addition of the
Arena and Ballpark at Harbor Yard and a number of art venues, including the
Playhouse on the Green and the Klein. He thinks the surge in the opening of
new, ethnic restaurants could create a favorable climate for a
Festival-sponsored Taste of Bridgeport in the downtown area. “A new event in
the city would be great for local merchants to show off the town,” Hurst
explained. “Perhaps we can have a mini-food festival that could draw people
from all around the state.”
Barnum Festival President Frank T. Gennarini thought
Hurst would bring creativity and good business sense to the Festival. The
Festival began in 1949 and remains one of the longest running festivals in
the Northeast. “We’re making Festival history in the new millennium,”
Gennarini said. “He truly cares about the community and is the president of
a bank that has the word, ‘community’ in its name. We’re confident he’s the
right man for the job that demands a lot of commitment and hard work.”
Hurst has already jumped into the Festival before his
Ringmaster suit was tailored. He’s met with Festival leaders and the
outgoing Ringmaster Len Berger to get a better understanding of his new
role. The father of two children, Hurst moved permanently to Bridgeport last
year after commuting from Westchester County. It was the right move for him.
He loves Bridgeport because it’s the largest city in the state, but still
has a small town feel with the pockets of neighborhoods. Bridgeport is home
now, but he’s still thinking big and expects to make the Festival bigger and
better this year.
“I really love the city. It’s my home now,” Hurst said.
“The Festival has been a wonderful part of the city. I want to expand it and
open it to more people. It’s an exciting challenge that I’m looking forward
to.”
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