A Balloon Glow is scheduled to be held in Eureka for the first time since 2015.
Re/MAX One, Brookdale Farms and Endeavor Capital Mortgage have teamed up to organize a glow from 4-10 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at Brookdale Farms, 8004 Twin River Road. A weather makeup date is scheduled for the same time July 29.
“The people want it,” said Jim Patton of Re/MAX One. “It was a fun event. We had people who I talked to (in 2015) who came from as far as Sullivan and Rolla come to it. Some people said, ‘This is really cool, I really like it. I may not go down to the one in Forest Park (where the Great Forest Park Balloon Race is held annually in September) anymore.’
“This is a lot more convenient for people who live west of St. Louis.”
Eureka played host to a Balloon Glow in August 2015, holding the event at Legion and Lions parks on Bald Hill Road. Cathy Armfield of Re/MAX ONE said an estimated 22,000 to 25,000 attended that glow.
“It came off really well,” Patton said. “It was a fun event and a lot of people showed up. Everybody really enjoyed it.”
Tickets for this year’s event are available online at etix.com. The cost is $20 per car before the event, and parking passes can be purchased at the gate the day of the event for $30.
A portion of the proceeds from the glow will be donated to P.A.W. Stoppers, which helps law enforcement agencies meet the costs of training and care for active-duty K-9 officers and care for retired K-9 officers.
“That particular organization needs some assistance, and we found them to be very accommodating and educational,” Armfield said. “We felt that was a good charity for us to reach out to.”
Armfield said 10 balloons are scheduled to be at the July 28 glow. Balloons are scheduled to rise at 8:15 p.m. with the glow lasting from 8:30-10 p.m.
The day will also feature a petting zoo, inflatable kids’ area, food and beverage vendors, a concert by the Dave Glover Band – a cover band that plays a variety of music from rock ‘n’ roll to country – and a demonstration by P.A.W Stoppers.
“The gates open at 4 p.m. and activities will start at 5 p.m.,” Armfield said.
Patton said the groups plan to have two to three volunteers on hand to help balloonists inflate and take down their balloons. Anyone interested in volunteering can call Re/MAX One at 636-333-9191.
Brookdale Farms owner Jerry Kirk’s staff will handle directing people where to park on the 180-acre farm and assist in crowd control, Patton said.
“There will be plenty of vendors and parking,” Patton said.
Armfield said 350 parking passes had been sold as of June 29, and the organizers are expecting a good crowd on July 28. Patton said organizers want to make the glow an annual summer event.
“We are very optimistic that we will have a good turnout,” Armfield said. “We are doing a lot of things that we are hoping will bring people back to us.”
