HeyPJKennedy!

The HeyStamford! Food Festival is back. Meet the man behind it all, Mr. Stamford, PJ Kennedy.

If you've met PJ Kennedy, you are most likely to agree that he could well be the nicest guy in Stamford... maybe Connecticut, east coast or a national search? PJ is everywhere! From an early morning 5k to a pet parade followed by a food tasting and still time for a ribbon cutting and a concert, if it's a Stamford event, there you will find PJ with camera in hand and a smile on his face. One might think that there are actually more than one of him. He is the heart and soul of HeyStamford!

What is HeyStamford!? It's a website. It's a blog. It's an email and social media. It is the direct line to everything happening in Stamford in real time. If you are not already following HeyStamford! make it a point to check it out. Not following is like the people waiting in line to pay a toll because they don't do E-Z Pass. One should do E-Z Pass and follow HeyStamford!

Hey Stamford! Is the premier guide for people seeking what’s new in food and entertainment in the City of Stamford. Constantly looking for what’s genuine, unique and next, it delivers inspiration every day to locals who have come to count on them – the urban explorers, the fun seekers, the trend spotters.

Born and raised on the streets of Stamford, PJ knows a thing or two about “roughing it”. Having started work at an early age as a bagger at Grade-A and consequently a cashier at the A&P, he knew about the “hard Life”. He attended private school since the 7th grade through high school and then went on to community college. Soon he was to transform his reputation as “street-wise leader” and began a career in retail as Assistant Store Manager of Abercrombie and Fitch.

From Abercrombie and Fitch, he went on to work for Tommy Hilfiger, USA, however, he was not content with what he was doing, and needed more. He took a giant step towards his life long dream in broadcasting. Starting out as an intern on the WPLJ drive-time powerhouse, the Rocky Allen Showgram,

PJ also worked as a barista & assistant manager at the (then) largest Starbucks in Fairfield County. From there he was soon introduced to the world of conference and tradeshows at Mecklermedia.

PJ has worked for some of the top conference and tradeshows in various industries. He worked as a Conference Program Manager with such business luminaries as Steve Case (then with AOL), Larry Ellison (Oracle), Linus Torvolds (Linux Creator), Martin Cooper (Inventor of the Cell Phone) and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban among many others.

Since starting HeyStamford! in 2011, he has affectionately become known as Mr. Stamford. His collection of stunning images of the many people and events he's covered could fill volumes. His aerial shots are fantastic.

PJ’s passion for the city is fueled by his family’s history in the area (dating back to 1879). His grandfather, the late J. Walter Kennedy, served as Mayor of Stamford (before retiring to become commissioner of the NBA), his father, Bob Kennedy, served as Sports Editor of the Stamford Advocate for over 30 years & his mother has been an educator & volunteer in the Stamford school system for over 35 years. PJ is not only a native, he is Stamford royalty.

PJ lives in Stamford where he is madly in love with his wife Sandy, and two children, PJ Jr. & Grace. PJ is a family man, managing to spend quality time with his family as well as show up at every event. (Giving more credence to the theory that there is more than one of him.) And, he has a full time job.

He also has a great sense of humor. In the craziness of 2020, he created a Stamford Coloring/Activity Book for adults:

Introducing the first ever Hey Stamford! Adult Activity Book! 10+ pages of activities, including a maze, word find, and coloring pages featuring some of our hometown friends!

"Coloring books have been shown to reduce stress and promote relaxation due to their inherent qualities." -- said some research I found on the Internets

Feel free to go to the website and download.

The BIG NEWS this month is the return of the Hey Stamford! Food Festival to Mill River Park for TWO BIG WEEKENDS: August 11-13 and 18-20.

The region’s largest food + music festival will return for its 6th year, and with it bring culinary demonstrations from celebrity chefs, more than 50 food vendors each weekend and world-class live music performances from major touring acts. Past performers at the Hey Stamford! Food Festival have included Flo Rida, DJ Pauly D, I Love the 90s (featuring Vanilla Ice, All 4 One, Rob Base, Young MC), Nelly, and more!

Visit HeyStamfordFoodFest.com