For more than three decades, Jackie Reynolds has been the source of countless smiles across the Hudson Valley, performing as Bee Bee the Clown at schools, libraries, summer camps, senior centers, birthday parties, and town events. This year, her dedication to the art of clowning has earned her a national accolade: She has been named the 2025 Clown of the Year by Clowns of America International.
The prestigious award honors a dedicated clown who has exemplified excellence through performance, mentorship, and contributions to the clowning community. For Reynolds, the real reward has always been in the joy she brings to others.
“People often ask me if my goal is to make people laugh,” she told the Herald. “I tell them, ‘No, I don’t make them laugh — I allow them to laugh.’ People carry more weight than they even realize. If I can create a moment where they can set their burdens aside and experience pure joy, then I’ve done my job. That’s what I love about it.”
Reynolds’ path to clowning was anything but conventional. A western Pennsylvania native, Reynolds graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1984 with a degree in chemical engineering. She began her career as a process engineer making photographic film for Polaroid in Boston.
“I never thought I’d be a clown, and I certainly didn’t expect to be an engineer!” Reynolds said.
She and her husband, Chuck, a longtime IBM employee and now retired Naval Reserve captain, eventually moved to Poughkeepsie in 1987 for his job. Reynolds had previously commuted weekly to Boston for work, but as their family grew, they settled in Milan in 1990. Reynolds began searching for a new path — one that would allow her to spend more time with her children while pursuing her passion for public speaking. Reynolds also reads scripture at Saint Anthony’s Church in Pine Plains.
“I’ve always been a natural public speaker, and I knew I wanted a career that would let me bring something valuable to people,” she said. “So, I designed a clown costume and created the kind of performance I would want to see in a clown.”
That decision in 1991 turned into a decades-long career in clowning, magic, ventriloquism, juggling, and entertaining — skills Reynolds taught herself over the last 30 years.
Although Reynolds lives in Milan, she and Chuck have long been woven into the fabric of Pine Plains. They built their home in 1990, and all three of their children graduated from Pine Plains Central School District — one in 2002, another in 2008, and the youngest in 2013.
“We feel incredibly lucky to be part of this community,” she said. “We’ve been deeply involved for years — our children went to school here, we attend Saint Anthony’s, and we’re just rooted in this place.”
Every summer, Reynolds performs at the Pine Plains Summer Recreation Program; where she is the resident clown. Before the pandemic, she helped organize Vacation Bible School through the Pine Plains Council of Churches, bringing families together for interactive programming.
And her impact lingers.
“I was at a spa in Hudson getting a massage when the woman looked at me and said, ‘You’re Bee Bee the Clown!’” Reynolds recalled. “At first, I thought she must have seen my email, but she remembered me from a birthday party I performed at when she was six years old. She told me she recognized me because of my smile.”
Reynolds has become a mainstay in the professional clowning world. She has served on the board for the Northeast Clown Institute, performed at national conventions, and even headlined at a regional clowning convention in Plymouth, Mass., where she entertained a crowd of 165 colleagues.
“After my performance, the president of the institute told me, ‘You have impeccable timing,’” she said. “That meant so much to me — it was validation that what I bring to the world truly lands with people.”
Her performances continue to reach audiences of all ages, from daycare centers to senior living communities. Whether performing a solo act or collaborating with fellow clowns, her goal remains the same: to create something visually stunning and emotionally uplifting.
For more information on Bee Bee’s performances or to book her for an event, visit https://beebeetheclown.com.