The fans have spoken...Pickles IS America's MOST Beautiful Clown!

The following performance history is for Barbara Willard, creator of Pickles Da Clown and Balloon Chick. This history includes everything Barbara has done from 1978 (the age of 13) until present day. 

1978 - 1985: First Congregational Church, Middletown, NY - Puppets, actress, singer, playwrite, teacher for VBS, Sunday School and other church events. Served as Director of Children's Choir.

1984: Got married

1986: Gave birth to my son Jason

1986 - 1995: Attended various churches singing and performing.

1995 - 1996: Warwick Church of the Nazarene, Warwick, NY - Puppets, actress, singer, playwrite, teacher for  Children's Church.

1996 - 2000: Promise Ministries Crusaders Puppets 4 Jesus - Puppet ministry that included teens from three local churches. Performances as follows:

• Otisville Federal Prison, NY - Visiting Room for children of inmates - 11/14/96
• Otisville Federal Prison, NY - Visiting Room for children of inmates - 12/7/96
• Promise Bible, Book and Gift Store, Middletown, NY - 12/12/96
• Whatsoever Things Bible Bookstore, Middletown, NY - 12/12/96
• WTKR Cable 8, Warwick, NY - Taped Christmas Program to be aired in early January '97 - 12/27/96
• St. Theresa's Nursing Home, Middletown, NY - 2/8/97
• Otisville Federal Prison, NY - Visiting Room for children of inmates - 2/15/97
• Park Manor Nursing Home, Middletown, NY - 3/1/97
• Private Birthday Party, Bloomingburg, NY - 5/10/97
• March For Jesus Rally, Thrall Park, Middletown, NY - 5/17/97
• Private Birthday Party, Warwick, NY - 6/29/97
• Fund Raiser Yard Sale, Middletown, NY - 7/26/97
• VBS Promo for First Congregational Church, Middletown, NY - 8/2/97
• Trinity United Methodist Church, Newburgh, NY - 9/6/97
• Highland United Methodist Church, Highland Mills, NY - 12/6/97
• Hallelujah Night, John 3:16 Christian Center, Poughkeepsie, NY - 10/31/97
• Whatsoever Things Bible Bookstore, Middletown, NY - 12/13/97
• Highland United Methodist Church, Highland Mills, NY - 12/6/97
• Leptondale Bible Church, Pioneer Girls, Newburgh, NY - 12/9/97
• Youth Enrichment Services (YES) Christmas Party, Middletown, NY - 12/20/97
• Private Family Christmas Party, Warwick, NY - 12/21/97
• Highland United Methodist Church, Highland Mills, NY - 1/10/98
• United Methodist Church of the Highlands, Highland Falls, NY - 3/21/98
• Pre-March Rally for March For Jesus at Harmony Baptist Church, Middletown, NY - 5/16/98
• March For Jesus Rally, Thrall Park, Middletown, NY - 5/30/98
• Westtown Presbyterian Church, VBS Closing Program, Westtown, NY - 7/18/98
• Park Manor Nursing Home, Middletown, NY - 7/18/98
• United Methodist of the Highlands & Sacred Heart Church VBS Opening, Highland Falls, NY - 7/20/98
  
• United Methodist of the Highlands & Sacred Heart Church VBS Closing, Highland Falls, NY - 7/24/98
• United Methodist Church of the Highlands The Story of Little Tree, Highland Falls, NY - 8/12/98
• Sound of Life Radio program Father's Table, Barbara's interview, Kingston, NY - 10/2/98
• Orange U Glad U Love Jesus a Puppetlady Production's event, Middletown, NY - 10/30/98
• Promise Bible, Book and Gift Store, Middletown, NY - 12/12/98
• United Methodist Church of the Highlands, Highland Falls, NY - 12/19/98
• Mid-Hudson Christian Church, Wallkill, NY - 2/26/99
• March For Jesus Praise Rally, Thrall Park, Barbara served as M.C., Middletown, NY - 5/22/99
• Hudson Valley Christian Church, Newburgh, NY - 6/11/99
• Otisville-Mt. Hope Presbyterian Church VBS Closing Program, Otisville, NY - 7/16/99
• Spanish Pentecostal Church Children's Parade in Thrall Park, Middletown, NY - 7/17/99
• Salvation Station Street Ministry, Trinity Luthern Church, Walden, NY - 7/21/99
• Salvation Station Street Ministry, Trinity Luthern Church, Walden, NY - 8/11/99
• Central Baptist Church of Pawling Sunday School Rally, Pawling, NY - 9/11/99
• One Way Street Puppet Festival Puppetry Song Competition, Tolland, CT - 9/17-18/99
• Meadowhill Reformed Church, Newburgh, NY - 10/2/99
• Sound of Life Radio program Father's Table, Team Interview, Kingston, NY - 10/15/99
• Hallelujah Night, John 3:16 Christian Center, Poughkeepsie, NY - 10/29/99
• Orange U Glad U Love Jesus a Puppetlady Production's event, Middletown, NY - 10/30/99
• Promise Bible, Book and Gift Store, Middletown, NY - 12/11/99
• Private Birthday Party, Warwick, NY - 6/3/00
• Jesus Day 2000 (formerly March For Jesus), Thrall Park, Middletown, NY - 6/10/00

1997 - 2000: First Congregational Church, Middletown, NY - Puppets, actress, singer, playwrite, teacher for VBS and Sunday School, served as Sunday School Superintendent.

2004 - 2008: Goodwill Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Montgomery, NY - Director for Cornerstone Puppet Theater, Circus For The King clown ministry and Psalm 34 Theater Worship Arts. Served as teacher for Children's Church, Pre-School, Nursery and VBS. Served on the Ladies Retreat Committee as playwrite for annual Committee Ice-Breaker Comedy Skit.

2008 to Present: Westminster Presbyterian Church, Rock Hill, SC - Director for Hands of God Puppet Theater. Performances as follows:

• Westminster Presbyterian Church Pre-School Sunday School, Rock Hill, SC - Every Sunday morning
• ChristmasVille, Rock Hill, SC - 12/6/08

Pickles Da Clown appearances:

• General Montgomery Day Parade, Montgomery, NY - 9/10/05
• Goodwill Evangelical Presbyterian Church Harvest Festival, Montgomery, NY - 10/31/05
• Goodwill Evangelical Presbyterian Church VBS Carnival dressed as Pepe, Montgomery, NY - 07/26/06
• General Montgomery Day Parade, Montgomery, NY - 9/9/06
• Goodwill Evangelical Presbyterian Church Harvest Festival, Montgomery, NY - 10/31/06
• Goodwill Evangelical Presbyterian Church VBS Carnival, Montgomery, NY - 7/27/07
• General Montgomery Day Parade, Montgomery, NY - 9/8/07
• ChristmasVille, Rock Hill, SC - 12/5, 12/6 & 12/7/08
• Several private functions throughout the year
• Your Carolina, telivision appearance, Greenville, SC - 2/24/09
• St. Pat's In Five Points, roaming entertainment, Columbia, SC - 3/14/09
• St. Paddy's On Main, roaming entertainment, Rock Hill, SC - 3/17/09
• Westminster Presbyterian Church Missions Festival, lead children's worship, Rock Hill, SC - 3/25-27/09
• Kids' Day Columbia, Finlay Park, roaming entertainment, Columbia, SC - 4/4/09
• Iron City Festival, roaming and Gospel stage show, Blacksburg, SC - 4/18/09
• SpringFest, roaming entertainment, Fort Mill, SC - 5/2/09
• I-85/321 Flea Market, balloon twisting and puppets, Dallas, NC - 6/27/09
• Madison County Fair, roaming and Country stage show, Brookfield, NY - 7/9-12/09
• Marshall County Fair, roaming and Country stage show, Moundsville, WV - 7/27-8/1/09
• Tyler County Fair, roaming and Country stage show, Middlebourne, WV - 8/3-4/09
• Wilton Blueberry Festival, roaming entertainment, Wilton, ME - 8/7-8/09
• Machias Wild Blueberry Festival, roaming entertainment, Machias, ME - 8/14-16/09
• Cummington Fair, roaming and Country stage show, Cummington, MA - 8/29-30/09
• Upper South Carolina State Fair, roaming and Country stage show, Greenville, SC - 9/3-13/09
• Orange Country Fair, roaming entertainment, Orange, CT - 9/19-20/09
• Virginia Peanut Festival, roaming and Gospel stage show, Emporia, VA - 9/26-27/09
• Pitt County American Legion Agricultural Fair, roaming and stage show, Greenville, NC - 10/5-10/10/09
• Lesslie Elementary School Fall Festival, balloon twisting, Rock Hill, SC - 10/16/09
• HILLarity Festival, roaming and stage show, Chester, SC - 10/17/09
• Private Birthday Party, stage show & balloon twisting, Chester, SC - 10/31/09
• Hopewell Baptist Church, Gospel stage show, Blacksburg, SC - 10/31/09
• ChristmasVille, roaming and stage show, Rock Hill, SC - 12/4-12/6/09
• Shenandoah Club, stage show for children's Christmas party, Roanoke, VA - 12/7/09

Points of Note:

• Barbara has been entertaining children since the age of thirteen with puppets, dressing up as numerous characters and singing.
• Promise Ministries Crusaders was made up of teens from three local churches in NY.
• Barbara made all the puppets and props used in every show.
• Barbara was a committee member of Middletown March For Jesus.
• Puppetlady Productions was formed in 1999 and began selling puppets around the world until 2002.
• Barbara was the seamstress to Jim Wideman Ministries, Tulsa, OK for a unique ministry tool that she redesigned for him known as the Tear-A-Part Devil doll used to teach children how to defeat the devil.
• Barbara designs and sews all of the costumes and accessories for Pickles Da Clown.
• Barbara designed and sewed several costumes for members of Circus For The King.
• Barbara overcame a dibilitating illness in 2002 which caused her speech to slur, partial paralization, nerve damage, memory loss and loss of her first soprano voice.
• Barbara married her second husband Jack on 2/15/03 at First Congregational Church, Middletown, NY. She designed and sewed her wedding gown, maid of honor's gown and her son's suit jacket.
• Barbara has always been a manager of either a business, ministry or community leader.
• Barbara credits her comic sense to her father and growing up watching great comic legends like Laurel & Hardy, Lucille Ball, Abbott & Costello, Carol Burnette, Don Knotts, Tim Conway, Danny Kaye, Jackie Gleason and Robin Williams.
• Barbara's favorite actors/performers are Jimmy Stewart, Danny Kaye, Gene Kelly, Kevin Kline, Julie Andrews, Johnny Depp, Tracy Ullman, Steve Martin and Hugh Grant.
• Barbara loves to write short stories for children and comedy skits.
• Barbara was born and raised in Middletown, NY and graduated from Valley Central High School in 1983.
• In High School Barbara sewed the costumes for the production of Once Upon A Mattress.
• Barbara played a nun in her High School production of Sound of Music. She also sewed some of the costumes for the production. 
• Barbara has written seven episodes for a children's television production that she is currently seeking a producer for.
• Barbara and Jack moved to Rock Hill, SC in the summer of 2008 after living all their lives in the beautiful Hudson Valley in New York.
• Barbara designs and sews all the costumes for Pickles Da Clown and Balloon Chick.
• Barbara directs Hands of God Puppet Theater at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Rock Hill, SC.