A balloon seller was asked to leave Cornwall’s Mazey Day festivities after organisers chose to back a local plastic-free initiative and decided not to invite balloon sellers to trade on the site.
Organisers of the town’s Golowan Festival pledged to take the plastic-free initiative on board said it would not be inviting helium balloon sellers to attend the festival.
Balloon sellers have always been a popular feature at Mazey Day – the main event of the festival. However this year, when the helium balloon seller turned up, he was asked to leave by organisers – but refused.
Local action group Plastic Free Penzance then posted a message on Facebook appealing for people not to buy the balloons.
“They’re here! We can’t legally stop balloon sellers on the streets during Golowan,” the post read. “They were asked not to come and have just been asked to leave by festival organisers. Please don’t buy these balloons if you see them.”
Golowan festival organisers issued the following statement ahead of the festival: “Golowan is proud to be working with Plastic Free Penzance/Surfers Against Sewage to take on board the plastic free initiative for this year’s festival.”
It continued: “Golowan will not be inviting helium balloon sellers to attend the festival and any that do attempt to trade within the festival boundaries will be politely asked to leave. We ask members of the public to show their support for the Plastic Free Penzance initiative by not buying helium balloons.”
Penzance was the first town in the UK to be awarded Plastic Free Coastlines status as part of a massive campaign by Surfers Against Sewage.
