When: June 7, 2024 @ 5:30 pm
A glowing night to remember
Experience the rare Blue Ghost fireflies beneath a canopy of towering tulip poplars!
Guests are invited to a lush rich cove forest for this special 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
5:30pm-6:00pm: Arrive
We will meet at Sugar Creek Baptist Church in Cullowhee (40 Sugar Creek Rd, Cullowhee, NC 28723) at 5:30pm sharp 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 explore 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!
6:30pm-8:30pm: Bonfire Dinner
Enjoy a locally sourced dinner catered by Guadalupe Cafe! View the menu below (and email Skye with questions or to inquire about dietary restrictions or allergies.) We’ll roast our bison dogs over a bonfire, delight in the decadence of Mexican chocolate cake and homemade ice cream, admire this beautiful property that the landowners have been stewarding for decades, and love on the friendly Great Pyrenees’s that frolic through the cove. 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 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 red light headlamps and/or flashlights for the walk. The walk is less than 1/4 mile over natural surface terrains. There are some steep inclines along the walk, but benches along the trail will allow guests to stop and admire the show. These fireflies peak from around 9:30pm-10:30pm, and guests are welcome to wander along the trail as they wish. Sara Rivera, firefly researcher and director of Them in STEM, will be available to answer questions about these critters, and about lightning bugs in general.
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 your preferred red light device. Space is extremely limited, so head to our ticket purchasing page to secure your spot! 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!
- The severe weather date for this event is Saturday, May 8th. 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 event that there are no fireflies active on the date of the event, guests will be invited to a private lightning bug walk in Sylva on Friday, June 14th from 8:30pm-10:30pm, where we are likely to see upwards of 6 species of fireflies in one night. This walk would be around a mile.
