Organizers of this week’s Heritage Inn International Balloon Festival in High River are warning spectators of a potential scam.
The festival’s Facebook page has issued a ‘scam alert,’ reminding the public that the event is not selling tickets to Friday night’s Balloon Glow through Showpass.
“Our festival and events are free community events that do not require tickets or registration of any kind. Do not pay for online tickets, rides or livestreams,” reads the Facebook post.
“Do not accept a friend request or invite from this dummy account,” the post reads. “This is not us!! If you receive an invite from this fake account, please report.”
A statement from Showpass clarified that it has not been selling tickets to Balloon Glow.
"There’s been some confusion — our platform was simply directing people to the Balloon Glow events website and offering free reminders, not ticket sales," reads the statement.
Showpass said it is both a ticketing service and an event discovery platform designed to help people find great experiences.
"Our goal is to connect communities with amazing events while supporting organizers across Canada. For Balloon Glow, we’ve shared its information to help more people experience the magic, but we’re not involved in any sales process," the statement reads.
The annual festival runs from Sept. 25 to 29 and will see more than 20 balloon pilots from Alberta and around the world take to the skies.
During the festival, balloon flights take off daily from the Macleod Trail launch site, with the first scheduled for 5:30 p.m. today (Sept. 25). After that, departures are planned for 7:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. each day, although there are no evening flights on Sept. 27 or 29.
The schedule is weather-dependent and subject to change. Spectators are encouraged to check the festival's website or social media accounts for up-to-date information.
A Balloon Glow on Friday, Sept. 27 is a highlight of the event and allows spectators to walk among balloons that are inflated but stay on the ground.
The event begins at 5 p.m. in Wallaceville, with pre-glow activities and food trucks. Pilots begin inflating their balloons about 30 minutes before sunset, wrapping up at 9 p.m.
It’s free to watch the daily launches or attend the Balloon Glow.
For more information, including schedules and maps, visit heritageinninternationalballoonfestival.com.