No balloons at the balloon festival!

[punk 10]

Went to this too. It was aweful.

 

Arrived mid afternoon. Asked a security guard at a closed gate how to get in. He pointed us towards a gate with an attendant. We walked for about 10 minutes to this other gate. Were told that he didn't accept cash (or any form of payment) so had to walk to the next gate. Got to the next gate and were told to go back to the gate we had just come from or go to the next one. After walking round the fence for the best part of 20 minutes we finally came to the only enterance where you could pay to get in. Despite there only been 3 of us we ended up in a group of around 30-40 people who had all been shifted from gate to gate.

 

Once you got in it was just a fairground. The type you usually get into free but have to pay for the rides.

 

It was supposed to be a kite and ballon festival. We saw 1 kite flying. That was it. 2 uninflated baloons.

 

Apart from that there were lots of "events" (i use the term lightly) with people shouting into microphones broadcast over loudspeakers. Each "event" was next to another one. So they kept turning up the volume to deafening levels trying to make themselves heard above the neighbouring "event".

 

We eventually got some drinks and retreated to somewhere away from the headache inducing noise. Which was, ironically, right next to the fence (wish we'd stayed outside).

 

Left after less than an hour in there. Will never go to an "event" like this again and would highly recommend people not to go this if there is one next year.

 

The organisers should be reported for trade descriptions violations.

[madowl 10]

Madowl, if you saw a guy with a GSD and a Collie, that was me .

Dave..

& if you saw a big bold guy with a big black labrador ... that was me....

[rocketman 10]

Just got to add my views on this. Got to support everyone who thought this was a awful event. Yes it was a shame about the balloons, but that can't be helped, but the rest of the event was just terrible. The signage in the park was terrible, we seemed to be walking up and down for miles trying to find an entrance, along with many others. The stewards all looked like kids, the angry looking dog in a cage was a nice touch at the entrance!

 

The end of the event was just as bad, no directons, no stewards and no lighting. There were just hundreds of people milling around in the dark.

[Glennis 15]

I saw some over Greystones very early, 7.30ish, Saturday .

[meersbrook 10]

Well.. I'll add a slightly more balanced view about this event, if I may ;-)

 

1. "Yes", they were crafty regarding the £ 2.50 entrance fee (it didn't mention it on the web site, for example - or if it did I missed it / unclear / hidden etc.)

 

2. "Yes", it was a big disappointment (I too had been looking forward to it for sometime since seeing banners etc. outside the park promoting it)

 

3. "Yes", the rides, pop etc. did seem expensive, but to be fair I would estimate roughly in line with most events of this nature these days.

 

4. "Yes", the "craft" tent was completely out of place and awful..

 

~

 

Despite these comments, I think that THE big problem with the event was quite simply the weather (which cannot be the fault of the organisers, or even Sheffield City Council (who are, for once, not really to blame here I'd say).

 

We were there for a number of hours from 3pm (ish) up until *nearly* the bitter end on Saturday. Generally had a good time, but it was VERY frustrating to have no balloons (and you did get the impression that they were almost teasing you by partially inflating the DHL one on a couple of occasions..)

 

If you looked around the perimeter of the balloon arena, there WERE several balloons there (inside their trailers), but due to obvious safety concerns, they decided not to bother (on Saturday at least, the main day)

 

We were over on the other side of the fenced off area, but to be fair I think the PA guy (annoying though he was..) DID keep people informed, and was perhaps even a little overly honest about the weather prospects for Sunday too..

 

Anyway, I could go on, but in general defence of the "festival" I think that the weather changed everyone's outlook on this disappointing (and yes, expensive) event.

 

Had we had 2 solid days of still air and glorious sunshine, there would have been plenty of balloons up in the air - throughout the day. Had that happened I think that suddenly people wouldn't be *quite* so grouchy about the "hidden" admission charge and the typically pricey food, rides etc...

 

That's my take on the situation anyway.

 

(*the above all relates to Saturday, as we were only there on that day)

[Lariol 10]

Well, we were going to take the kids to the balloon festival as we'd been before a few years ago and remembered it being really good (the weather must have been better then). But for some reason we decided to go to Castleton for the day; which was great! Apart from me nearly conking out carrying our 7 month old bam-bam on my back, up that steep hill to the castle keep just after a hefty lunch in the village! Best of all, all the pay & display meters were bust so parking was free! If you can get out to Castleton I'd reccomend the Rose Cottage cafe and the views from the ruined keep are great (even my 4 year old thought so!).

[fox20thc 10]

said this before i believe its sheffield council who is at fault its pay pay in sheffield the only decent thing is fright night is free untill a crackpot idea to charge to get in

 

Not quite true, there are lots of local events during the summer which are free, such as at foxhill, sharrow, hallam jam, peace in the park, ours Its a case of looking for them.

[33057seagull 10]

also one came down in hillsborough park as well

 

That was me!

 

(As a Brighton & Hove Albion fan, will not be visiting Sheffield this year, so thought we would attend the Balloon event)

 

We have never attended this before & when we arrived on Friday p.m. it certainly wasn't what we expected. If you have been to Bristol or Northampton Balloon Fiestas, you will know what I am talking about.

 

Looking at the weather we went for it Friday evening & together with the Remax balloon & landed north of Barrow Hill.

 

On Saturday morning we again flew, with I think, 8 other balloons as did the Churchill Dog. Brilliant flight over the city, not quite overhead Bramall Lane but tried for the centre spot at Hillsborough. Don't think we would have been popular so took the park instead.

 

Then the front came through & wind got up. Some tethering of balloons but there wasn't much else to do so we went to the pub ; in fact the Fat Cat at Kelham Island - got to be one of the best pubs in England without a doubt.

 

In the end we got in two flights but it was overall disappointing as the event was little more than a fun fair so first thing Sunday we headed back south.

 

Unfortunately balloons (& kites) are subject to the weather but if Sheffield do this again; let's hope it will be better weather & more stuff going on.

[Tets 10]

An interesting event for Graves Park visitors. Our family had been to the Animal Farm part and were then standing watching unsucessful attempts to inflate the balloons. Show Officials moved us further down the path along with a group of disabled watchers, so that the firework display could be moved to this area. The only thing was that the disabled were then blocked in and some paths blocked. We were all stood wondering how to get to our vehicles when a seemingly local dog-walker came round the corner ,his dog loose and uncontrolled. He came straight through the group ,the dog jumping up at the disabled and attacking a Westie pup. A profoundly deaf member of the group asked this person to control his dog , at which he erupted into a loud mouthed agressive attitude ,stating that no control was necessary legally. The diabled tried to quieten him down, but he went on and on. This man is dangerous to any likely walkers. Bearing in mind that many children were around at the show, some consideration should have been displayed. The group of disabled were obviously distressed by this man's attitude. Watch out for a man dog- walker with a Big brown dog. Avoid him if possible. He apparently uses Graves Park often.

[Draggletail 60]

 

Despite these comments, I think that THE big problem with the event was quite simply the weather (which cannot be the fault of the organisers, or even Sheffield City Council (who are, for once, not really to blame here I'd say).

 

Wonder who's Idea it was to host the event in (arguably) the highest/windiest park in Sheffield?

[meersbrook 10]

Wonder who's Idea it was to host the event in (arguably) the highest/windiest park in Sheffield?

 

Fair point, but had the day been like just about any other recently (i.e. blue skies and "still") it wouldn't have been a problem.

 

I guess that Endcliffe might have been a more sheltered option but with the cloud levels as they were I still doubt balloons would have gone up.

 

A real shame and nothing more to it than that really "Maybe next year.."

[kblade 10]

I went to this and yes it was a little disappointing. I haven't read all the thread but in general I'm getting the jist of anger.

 

Now just how many of you wanted yourself, your child, your family or friends killed with a crashing balloon? Did none of you see them flapping about? Nothing can be done about the weather. It wasn't safe!

 

£2.50 is not a bad entrance fee I feel. OK the ballons didn't go up but I was there from 3:30pm until finish and they never stopped trying with the Alka Selzer balloon. They were forever bringing it back out to try 'something'.

 

Give the guys a break.