During December, Bridgeport’s The Barnum Museum located on 820
Main Street is offering a limited, yet glorious, series of Victorian
Christmas events as part of the Celebrate
the Season programming.
On Friday, Dec. 6 from 6
to 8 p.m. the Annual Holiday Tree
and Menorah Lighting, on McLevy Green will take place. Everyone
is invited to join Mayor Bill Finch and other city officials for this holiday
tradition to ‘light up’ Downtown Bridgeport.
On Sunday, December 8 at 2 p.m. and on December 18 at 12 noon, Kathleen
Maher, Executive Director will present “Celebrate the Season”. This program will take participants on a
fascinating journey back in time to holiday festivities of bygone days. Maher
will present the evolution of the tales and traditions of a Victorian age
Christmas. Admission $5.
A Reading of The Night Before Christmas by
Sonia Finch Bridgeport’s First Lady will take place on Wednesday, December 11 at 11 a.m. Mrs.
Finch will read Clement Clarke Moore's timeless holiday tale, the
enchanting The Night Before
Christmas, under the twinkling lights of a Victorian Christmas tree.
Children attending the nearby Early Learning Lab at Housatonic Community
College have been invited, but the public is also encouraged to bring their
pre-school children for a $2 suggested donation to participate in this
traditional way to ring in the holidays.
A Lecture on Tom Thumb by Eric Lehman
is scheduled for Wednesday, December 11 at 11 a.m. Attendees
will get a first look at Eric D. Lehman's new biography of Bridgeport's own
Charles Stratton, Becoming Tom
Thumb. Lehman tells the full story of this iconic figure for the
first time. The book details his triumphs on the New York stage, his epic
celebrity wedding, his meetings with Abraham Lincoln and Queen Victoria, and
his around-the-world tour, drawing on newly available primary sources and
interviews. From the mansions of Paris to the deserts of Australia, Stratton’s
unique brand of Yankee comedy not only earned him the accolades of millions of
fans, it helped move little people out of the side show and into the lime
light. Admission $5 Eric D. Lehman
teaches travel literature, history, and creative writing at the University of
Bridgeport. He is the author of seven books about Connecticut, including A History of Connecticut Food and Insiders’ Guide to Connecticut.
Call for more information
203-331-1104 ext.100, M-F from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or visit visit www.barnum-museum.org for more information.
About the P.T. Barnum
Museum
The back exhibition hall of the museum, featuring artifacts that
belonged to P.T. Barnum, Tom Thumb and others, is open for viewing and
exploration on Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. To learn more about
The Barnum Museum’s current programs visit www.barnum-museum.org.
You can also visit the museum on Facebook, view past programs at www.barnummuseumexhibitions.org or
communicate on Twitter @BarnumMuseum
