No New Year’s ball raise for Carytown
In a crushing blow to a fun tradition RVAMag has busted the news that the traditional rising ball at the Byrd on New Year’s Eve will not be happening this year. The reason “too much fun”. Not really, the real reason is completely logical. The Cary Street around the Byrd is simply too small for […]
Photo courtesy of RVAMag
In a crushing blow to a fun tradition RVAMag has busted the news that the traditional rising ball at the Byrd on New Year’s Eve will not be happening this year. The reason “too much fun”. Not really, the real reason is completely logical. The Cary Street around the Byrd is simply too small for the crowds (35,000 last year) the ball rising attracts. There is hope that the ball will find a new home and shall rise like a Phoenix once again. We’ll keep you posted. Read the details on RVAMag.
“After consultation with the Carytown Merchants Association (CMA) and several other community partners, it is clear that many in the Carytown and surrounding communities have serious concerns about the Ball Raise,” said Savenko in a press release sent out today. “We are respectful of and share some of those concerns. While it saddens us to eliminate any festive element during such a celebratory time of year, our highest priority is the safety of patrons of the Byrd Theatre, Carytown, and the surrounding neighborhoods.”
Raul Cantu, President of the Carytown Merchants Association, shared the BTF’s concerns, saying the cancellation of the event came down to the safety of the businesses and the attendees during the event. While there had been few incidents during past ball-risings, Cantu and the CMA said the entire event had become a liability and it was too much for the collection of small business owners to bear.
“I got a lot of phone calls from neighbors and merchants. We don’t want to be liable. We all agree it’s a great event, but this location is just not the place to have it,” said Cantu
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