People who went to Allegheny County’s South Park fairgrounds this weekend expecting to attend the Pittsburgh Balloon Glow festival were disappointed to find the event didn’t exist. Now, county police are investigating.
According to police, an organization called Hot Air America advertised the two-day event for June 8 and 9, selling tickets ranging from $10 to $100 on the platform Eventbrite.
But county police say the organizer’s permit application was denied and believe it’s part of a nationwide scam.
Channel 11 spoke with a woman who said she drove for hours to attend the festival. Kelly Simbeck said she heard about the event from a friend.
“I have gone to a balloon event in Maryland and I love it and it looked like fun…” she said.
But when she and her friends got to the site in South Park, they quickly discovered that the hot air balloon event was just about a bunch of hot air.
“It’s not just about buying the tickets,” Simbeck said. “People are traveling to see this and there’s nothing. We felt like idiots.”
She wasn’t alone.
“A lot of disappointment and confusion, and unfortunately, I had to tell them this event likely wasn’t taking place,” said Allegheny County Police Sgt. Jonathan King.
When Kelly and her friends went back to the website, they noticed the event’s date had been changed for the same weekend next year.
But police say that, too, is very doubtful. Investigators say the same company has been doing this all across the country.
A similar event with tickets being sold for later in the month in Chicago has now been canceled.
“We are doing an investigation, and we are going to consult with the DA’s office and if they feel criminal charges are appropriate, then we will address that,” King said.
Kelly is contacting her bank and Eventbrite, but she’s not optimistic.
“I doubt it. I doubt it,” she said. “I doubt anybody is ever going to see their money.”
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