Experiences from Autumn Lights at Lincoln Showground
Bonfire Night, a perennial favourite across the UK, turned out to be a challenging experience for many attendees of the Autumn Lights event at Lincoln Showground. Despite the lack of a bonfire, two firework displays, fire performers, diversified rides, and a DJ’s performance formed the evening’s entertainment.
Indeed, a slight early bird discount brought the ticket price down to a reasonable £27.38 for a pair. However, event attendees raised questions about whether tickets were oversold or if the event suffered from poor organisation.
"What's the worst road in Lincolnshire?" might not be a casual question after all. Despite leaving home an hour in advance, the journey took unexpectedly longer due to road congestion and parking woes, leading to a missed first fireworks display and fire performances. The final five miles of the journey alone took over an hour to complete, hinting at the intense traffic conditions.
Chasing Experiences amid Massive Crowds
Once parked and with their bearings gathered, the attendees entered the main event. While they found a variety of food and drink stalls, numerous rides for both kids and adults, and a distant stage, they also discovered incredibly long queues for virtually everything.
Speaking of one attendee's experience, "After meeting our friends we spent around 40 minutes queuing for one ride, and then half an hour for another, meanwhile the lads had queued over an hour for a pint of beer, which cost £6."
The primary fireworks display, punctuated by an amazing lasers show, was hailed as one of the best in recent memory. Still, the rest of the night's experiences couldn't live up to the high set by the dazzling ten-minute spectacle.
An Aftermath of Traffic Woes
Post-event, on the hope of avoiding the back-flow of traffic, attendees delayed their departure for around 15 to 20 minutes. However, they found themselves amidst long traffic lines. After eventually moving, the exit experience was marred by reckless driving and multiple near-accidents, with several cars aggressively forcing their entry into lanes.
In summary, the event attendee quoted, "Although the fireworks were amazing, we missed most of what the night had to offer, and what we could enjoy was spoilt by endless queues. I don’t think I will be returning next year."
Future attendees are advised to arrive earlier to avoid traffic troubles and fully take in the Autumn Lights experience.