Inaugural Henrico SkyGlow attracts huge crowds, forcing some to be turned away

Thousands of people flocked to Meadow Farm in Glen Allen May 10 for the inaugural Henrico SkyGlow event to take tethered hot-air balloon rides and watch as a series of 10 tethered balloons lighted up the night sky in sync with music. The event also included vendors and a kids’ zone.

Interest in the event swelled to such a level that traffic around the park was stalled for several hours, and many people were turned away because the park was at capacity. A number complained on social media that they had spent an hour or longer waiting in traffic before eventually giving up or being turned away at the entrance.

“Like many, many others [I] waited nearly two hours in traffic and could not get in,” one woman wrote. “I was stopped in line at 5:40 a mile and a half away. At 7:45 was still half mile from turning into venue.”

But those who did make it in praised the event.

“We had a great time, it was an awesome event,” another woman wrote. “We got there at 5:40 to avoid the traffic and immediately got in line for the balloon ride.”

In a Facebook post, organizers with the county’s Recreation and Parks division wrote that they had anticipated large crowds and did their best to accommodate everyone.

“The layout and location of Meadow Farm does make it a little tricky when we have an attendance of this size, but it was the best Henrico Recreation and Parks owned property for the event,” they wrote. “We cannot host this at Dorey [Park, in Varina], because of the airport. We also operate separately from the Richmond Raceway.”

The county contracted with a parking crew and had assistance from Henrico Police, officials said.

“We've heard your feedback of lengthening the event and expanding the footprint to add more food trucks and activities for kids,” they wrote. “If you weren't able to make it, we're very sorry and we hope this doesn't discourage you from attending other events.”