Fireflies Event at Norton Creek 2020

This event has now passed. Check out the 2021 event page for the latest event.

Join DLiA for a firefly-centered evening! We’ll start with food and drink at a gorgeous, intimate venue, followed by a presentation and Q&A about fireflies. At dusk we’ll descend to our favorite firefly viewing spot on the property, where synchronous fireflies and other glowing critters will put on a light show that you’ll never forget!

NOTE: This is a private fundraising event, held at a private reserve adjacent to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is not associated with the Park or its synchronous firefly lottery at Elkmont.

UPDATE MAY 12: At present, we plan to hold this event as scheduled, but with modifications to minimize the risk for all participants (see details below). We will continue to monitor the coronavirus situation and make additional changes, as needed to keep everyone safe. Current ticket holders also have the option of transferring their tickets to our 2021 event or receiving a full refund. Stay safe, stay healthy, and thank you for your support!

Modifications for coronavirus

We are making the following changes to this event to minimize the risk of coronavirus transmission at this event:

• Attendance will be limited to 30 guests (approx. 50% capacity) and all attendees will be required to stay with their group throughout the night
• We will not gather at the house where we usually start the event, but will instead meet at the viewing site (on the same private property)
• We will not serve food or alcohol, but will give attendees a gift certificate to redeem later on their own
• The firefly presentation will be available online in advance of the event so that folks can view it before they arrive
• We will require every attendee to wear a mask and to practice social distancing
• We will check temperatures on arrival and turn attendees away if they present fever or other COVID-19-like symptoms
• Attendees will be required to sign a form agreeing to follow these guidelines for the safety of our guests, volunteers, and staff
• Any attendee that does not follow these safety guidelines will be asked to leave the property immediately and will not be given a refund
• The event could still be cancelled if the outbreak worsens over the next few weeks, at which point attendees will have the option to carry their ticket over to the 2021 fireflies event or receive a refund

If you are interested in attending this event, please purchase your tickets now and we will email you further guidance and updates as the event approaches.

General information

• An entomologist will talk about fireflies of the Smokies and answer your burning firefly questions
• This is a rain or shine event (see FAQ below)
• Sorry but pets are not allowed at this event
• There will be light walking on paved and gravel surfaces
• We’ll email ticket holders details, including directions to the event, as the event approaches
• Please purchase tickets early as they are limited and usually sell out

Timing

• Friday, May 29, 2020 from 7:00 to 11:00 PM
• Saturday, May 30, 2020 from 7:00 to 11:00 PM
• Sunday, May 31, 2020 from 7:00 to 11:00 PM

Location

The event will be held at Norton Creek Preserve, a 3000-acre tract of land adjacent to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, accessible via the Spur (HWY 321/441) near Gatlinburg, TN. Ticket holders will be sent detailed directions as the event approaches.

Food & drink

Ticket purchase includes food (heavy hors d’oeuvres) by Whole Earth Grocery, including vegetarian options, as well as beer, wine, sodas and tea.

Silent auction

Don’t miss our firefly-related treasures including original firefly artwork and photography! Cash, check and card are accepted.

Tickets

Fireflies Event tickets are $225 per person and are open to anyone 10 years of age or older. Each ticket is for a single night of the event (Friday, Saturday, or Sunday). Your ticket purchase helps DLiA carry out its mission!

Cancellation policy

Full payment is due at sign up. We will be happy to refund your full payment if and only if we are able to fill your slot.

UPDATE MAY 12: At present, we plan to hold this event as scheduled, but with modifications to minimize the risk for all participants (see details listed above). We will continue to monitor the coronavirus situation and make additional changes, as needed to keep everyone safe. Current ticket holders also have the option of transferring their tickets to our 2021 event or receiving a full refund. Stay safe, stay healthy, and thank you for your support!

Have questions?

Need help purchasing tickets? Please first read our FAQ below answers to common questions, then ask Todd if you still need help: todd@dlia.org or (865)-430-4757.

FAQ

Q. Is this event related to the synchronous firefly lottery in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

A. No, it is not. Discover Life in America is a non-profit partner of the Park; however, this is a private fundraising event that is not associated with the Park’s lottery for synchronous firefly viewing at Elkmont. That is a totally separate event and we cannot answer questions about the lottery, 2019 dates for the lottery, or anything else related to it. Information about the lottery can be found at https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/fireflies.htm.

Q. $225 per person seems expensive. Is this event really worth it?

A. We certainly think so! For the price of $225 you get a lot of value and you support the work of Discover Life in America! There’ll be delicious food, made from scratch by our friends at Whole Earth Grocery, and yummy alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. You’ll get an exclusive look at the private venue for the event, a gorgeous house made from rough-hewn hemlocks and decorated with birch bark, which is set on a pastoral hilltop right next to the national park. You’ll have one-on-one time with an entomologist who will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about the 19 species of fireflies that live in the Smokies. And of course you’ll get to see the magical display of the synchronous fireflies, but not among a crowd in the national park. Rather, you’ll see them in a leisurely, small-group setting with guides to point them out and answer all your questions. We are positive that you will find the Fireflies Event to be an illuminating experience!

Q. How do you know the synchronous fireflies will be active?

A. Synchronous fireflies in the Smokies region typically reach their peak activity around the end of May to middle of June; however, this can vary from year to year based on temperature and weather. The Park uses temperature data to plan the dates of their lottery system, typically releasing those dates around late April. We, however, must book the venue for our Fireflies Event a year in advance, so we carefully select a date that falls within the peak season for synchronous firefly activity from previous years. In the seven years that we’ve been doing this event, we’ve never been disappointed.

Q. I can’t find the exact location of this event on your website. Why is that?

A. As the synchronous fireflies have become extremely popular in the Smokies, we don’t post our event location for fear that the public will trespass on the private property of our generous hosts and trample pristine firefly habitat. Rest assured though: we will contact all ticket holders with detailed directions to the event and other information that you’ll need to know for this once-in-a-lifetime evening.

Q. (Close to the event) Rain may be forecast during the event. Will it be canceled?

A. Nope. The Smokies region gets lots of rain, but it has not affected our firefly viewing. The first part of the event takes place inside, but bring a light rain jacket in case we get a little rain during viewing, which takes place outside but under a protective forest canopy. One night last year it was pouring rain during our firefly presentation, but by viewing time the rain had stopped and the fireflies were spectacular. It’s going to be great!

Q. In the description for this event, you mention “other glowing critters.” What are you talking about?

A. There is a veritable menagerie of glowing critters to see at the Fireflies Event! Apart from the ever-popular synchronous fireflies (Photinus carolinus), and the rising stars that are the blue ghost fireflies (Phausis reticulata), we’ve seen railroad worms (Phengodes spp.), which are another type of beetle with glowing larvae and adult females, and also fungus gnat larvae (a.k.a. foxfire flies, Orfelia fultoni), which glow faintly blue from seeps on the hillside. We typically see the adults of other firefly species during viewing while we wait for the synchronous and blue ghost fireflies to become active (there are nine other firefly species in the region that glow), and we find the glowing larvae and pupae of a number of these species.

Q. Where should I stay during the event?

A. Although lodging is not included as part of the Fireflies Event, there are great hotel options in Gatlinburg and also Pigeon Forge. They are about equidistant from the venue.