Despite some uncooperative weather and a financial snafu, the Greenwood Balloon and Music Fest is receiving high marks from those who were eager for it to be a success.
Greenwood Mayor Carolyn McAdams said people in the city were excited and responded well to the event, the first of its kind after a 13-year hiatus.
“People were geared up, really excited about it,” McAdams said. “Hopefully going forward we’ll be able to bring it back.”
The city was an in-kind sponsor for the four-day event at Whittington Park that closed Sunday morning after a weekend of music, some ballooning, a barbecue cookoff and an antique car show.
McAdams had been scheduled to give a welcome speech from the stage on Friday, but an intense electrical storm prevented her appearance.
On Saturday, an enthusiastic and large crowd returned to the park in the late afternoon and evening hours. A full music schedule commenced, and the children’s area, filled with inflatables, was busy with young festival-goers.
A muddle regarding payment at the Memphis Barbecue Network-sanctioned cookoff on Saturday afternoon was rectified on Saturday evening.
When awards were set to be given out at 5:30, MBN President Suzanne Rhea told the gathered crowd that event organizers hadn’t issued checks and could not be contacted, and that therefore the cash prizes could not be awarded.
Rickie Robertson of Robertson Fabrication Inc., Cyndi Long of GE Capital Aviation Services and a representative of Scott Petroleum came up with the money, reported to be $15,000, and the awards were distributed around 7:30 p.m.
Long told the Commonwealth today that she and the others were repaid later in the evening.
“If we hadn’t stepped in, someone else would have,” Long said. “That’s the kind of community we live in.”
Long, who has helped in the past with planning the air show at Greenwood-Leflore Airport, said she understands how a mix-up like this one could occur.
“You’re pulled in a hundred different directions,” she said. “We discovered just how difficult the logistics can be. You just can’t anticipate how many places you’re going to have to be.”
Long said her sister and brother-in-law came to the cookoff with their championship barbecue team Smokin’ and the Bandit of Memphis.
“They said to me they’d been here four days and finally understood why I like it here in Greenwood so much,” Long said. “They met the people and had a great time. Everybody wants to be able to come back.”
Long said she and the others who provided the money in a pinch agreed they want to see the event survive and thrive.
“I think it’s got good bones, as long as people sit down quickly and learn from their mistakes,” she said.
McAdams concurred.
“When you put on an event like this, you have to budget and budget to make those payouts up front,” she said.
“We all felt like there was just so much going on and the organizers were overwhelmed,” Long said.
The event’s chief organizer, Ken Gammill, could not be reached for comment this morning.
Balloonmeister Mark Bowie said he was pleased with the ballooning that happened over the weekend, despite a Friday night storm and uncooperative winds at other times that curtailed some of the planned events.
Thursday night’s crowd enjoyed a balloon glow within the confines of the park, with two balloons inflated beneath the trees near the center of the festival grounds, and two inflated out on the east field of the park.
“Eight balloons were scheduled, but there wasn’t room in that close space for all of them, so four glowed,” Bowie said. “In there with all those people so close up, it was great.”
Several Greenwood residents, including Olivia Watts, a vendor at the Downtown Greenwood Farmers Market, reported seeing multiple balloons in the air over the city early Saturday morning. Watts said she saw 15 to 20 taking off from the Yazoo River boat landing. She watched from Front Street as the balloons headed toward Greenwood High School, where they performed tactical contests, according to Bowie.
Saturday evening, a balloon glow was attempted on the drill field west of Greenwood High School, but winds interrupted.
“We got several balloons up briefly, and then it was not safe to do it,” Bowie said. All of the 35 balloons participating in the weekend event were laid out on the field, he said, but couldn’t be inflated.
Sunday morning’s final flight was cancelled due to high winds as well.
“We had reports of 19 knot winds at 1,000 feet, so it was not legal to fly at that time,” said Bowie.
“The weekend for the balloonists was great, even though the weather wasn’t the greatest,” he said. “I’ve already received emails from balloon pilots who were here and said they are anxious to see this event grow and prosper.”
The music lineup for Friday night was also largely knocked out due to weather, though a small stage was set up after the weather cleared, allowing two bands to play.
•Contact Kathryn Eastburn at 581-7235 or keastburn@gwcommonwealth.com.
