When: May 24, 2025 @ 6:30 pm
A glowing night to remember
Back by popular demand, experience the rare Blue Ghost fireflies beneath a canopy of towering tulip poplars!
Guests are invited to a lush rich cove forest for this exclusive evening, where we will roast local bison weinies over a bonfire and top with all the fixin’s, provided by the beloved Guadalupe Cafe. When darkness settles in and we finish off our beer (or wine, or lemonade), we’ll wander into the forest to view the ethereal Blue Ghost fireflies as they drift along the forest floor.
Event Schedule
6:30pm-7:00pm: Arrive
We will meet at Sugar Creek Baptist Church in Cullowhee (40 Sugar Creek Rd, Cullowhee, NC 28723) at 6:30pm sharp on Saturday, May 24th and carpool to Dark Cove, our destination for the evening.
Dark Cove is a private conservation easement that is typically not open to the public, so this is a unique opportunity to view this amazing area. This rich cove is home to a wide diversity of beautiful wildflowers, birds, and wildlife, and we are grateful to the landowners for welcoming us for this event!
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7:00pm-8:30pm: Bonfire Dinner
Enjoy a locally-sourced, homemade dinner catered by the beloved Guadalupe Cafe!
Exact menu details to come, but you can count on roasting our bison dogs over a bonfire, delighting in the taste of local, homemade sides and desserts, admiring this beautiful property that the landowners have been stewarding for decades, and loving on the friendly Great Pyrenees’s that frolic through the cove. As we eat, a naturalist will deliver a brief introductory talk on lightning bugs, with a special focus on the Blue Ghosts.
A big thank you to Lazy Hiker and Orsini Wines for generously sponsoring our drink menu!
9:00pm-10:30pm: Blue Ghost Viewing
After the sun sets, we will venture out to view the spectacular Blue Ghosts.
These fireflies are a rare species that give the nighttime forest a magical aura. They fly slowly close to the ground and, instead of flashing like other lightning bugs, stay illuminated for up to a minute! Blue Ghosts have a dim blueish glow, so to allow our eyes to adjust to the darkness and view them in all their glory, guests will be equipped with a red light flashlight, which they can take home after the event.
Total distance walked will be much less than a mile- just far enough to find a good spot to settle in and enjoy the show, though guests are welcome to wander farther. A naturalist will be milling around to answer any questions. These fireflies peak from around 9:30pm-10:30pm.
10:30pm-11:00pm: Event Concludes
As the Blue Ghosts fade away, guests will be shuttled back to their cars for departure. 
Tickets for this event are $300 and include dinner, drinks, dessert, and a red light flashlight to take home for future fireflying. Space is extremely limited, so head to our ticket purchase page to secure your spot (this link will take you to a different website.) Email Skye with any questions.
Please note:
- This event is rain or shine. Blue Ghost fireflies enjoy dampness, and will still be flying in light showers. Bring a rain jacket and waterproof shoes if there’s rain in the forecast! We will move our dinner inside if the weather prevents a crackling campfire.
- The severe weather date for this event is Sunday, May 25th. Severe weather includes downpours, lightning, dangerously high winds, nearby fire, and other weather concerns as appropriate.
- There are (very friendly) dogs present on this property. Please leave your own pets at home.
- Blue Ghost fireflies are wild animals. Though they have been active on this date in previous years, we cannot guarantee that they will be viewable during this event. In the absence of Blue Ghosts, guests are still likely to see an beautiful display of the world-renowned Synchronous Fireflies. In the event that there are no fireflies at all active on the date of the event, guests will be invited to a private lightning bug walk on a different date.
