PA Firefly Benefit Event

Join us on Saturday, June 19th, 6-11PM, for the PA Firefly Festival Benefit Dinner hosted by the Kellettville Firefly Farm. Tickets are $300 per person. A maximum of 20 tickets are available on a first-come basis. This event is not intended for children.

Watch the Sparkles of fireflies including the Synchronous Firefly, Photinus carolinus in a quiet private venue and support PA Firefly Festival, Inc. This is an exclusive one-night private fundraiser event for a limited audience in the natural firefly reserve.

You will enjoy a catered dinner, including beer/wine, and soft drinks. During dinner firefly experts will present a firefly program. At twilight, you will have guided access to the firefly habitats on the 15-acre property to witness the mesmerizing natural light displays of multiple species of fireflies including Synchronous Fireflies and Chinese Lanterns. Bluetooth personal listening devices will be available to listen to the expert interpretation during the displays. End the night under dark skies beside a warm campfire, enjoy a night cap or S’mores, and share firefly stories before retiring to the comforts of the guesthouse, cabin or your tent.

All proceeds benefit the PA Firefly Festival, Inc. The PA Firefly Festival is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization with an all volunteer board. PAFF’s mission is to educate the public and raise awareness through an annual event celebrating our State's Insect, the firefly, and to provide rigorous scientifically sound programs that promote firefly conservation and habitat protection to special interest groups and schools across Pennsylvania throughout the year. PAFF does not receive State or Federal funding.

The PA Firefly Festival originated at the Kellettville Firefly Farm in 2013. Since that year, public interest and demand has increased to the point of negatively impacting the habitats of the fireflies in that sensitive area. Therefore, the owners of the property made it a priority to manage the sites as a preserve in order to ensure that the populations would remain stable and healthy for the future generations. Since 2024, the Kellettville Firefly Farm has been designated as a Firefly Sanctuary by Firefly Atlas and the Xerces Society for the Conservation of Invertebrates.

Lodging or camping is available on-site at Kellettville Firefly Farm for attendees of this event at a special rate for Saturday, 6/19 (and Sunday, 6/20 if applicable). Click here if you are interested in booking a room in the guesthouse, cabin or camping. Limited rooms available.

This event is not subject to the PA Firefly Festival Lottery: Tickets are available on a first-come basis. Click the button below to go to the ticketing website. Please read all information carefully before making your purchase. Refer to FAQs below.

By registering for the event(s), the patron(s) acknowledge(s) the risks inherent at the PA Firefly Festival (PAFF) guided firefly walks including trip & fall risk, and both release and hold harmless the event hosts, PAFF, and its agents, from any and all liability arising from sickness or injuries sustained while a guest or visitor at the facilities. The patron(s) further release from liability any guide that is contracted for instruction or tours.

CROWD NOTICE / PHOTO RELEASE

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT BY ENTERING THE PA FIREFLY FESTIVAL EVENT, YOU CONSENT TO YOUR VOICE, NAME, AND/OR LIKENESS BEING USED, WITHOUT COMPENSATION, IN PHOTOS, FILMS AND TAPES FOR EXPLOITATION IN ANY AND ALL MEDIA, WHETHER NOW KNOWN OR HEREAFTER DEVISED, FOR ETERNITY, AND YOU RELEASE PA FIREFLY FESTIVAL, INC, ITS SUCCESSORS, ASSIGNS AND LICENSEES FROM ANY LIABILITY WHATSOEVER OF ANY NATURE.

DO NOT ENTER THIS AREA IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE SUBJECT TO THE FOREGOING.

What to expect

Unique private firefly experience:

Catered dinner & complimentary beer/wine
Expert firefly informative talk during dinner
Trained firefly guides to viewing areas
Bluetooth earpiece for interpretive program during the firefly viewing
Light walking tour and access to private exclusive habitats
Rain or Shine: dress for the weather
Open to age 13 and up (teens must be ticketed and accompanied by an adult)
Campfire comradery and sharing of firefly stories
No Pets
Limited onsite lodging/camping available through Kellettville Firefly Farm on a first-come basis
More information will be sent to you as the event gets closer with details and updates
For more information see the FAQs below.

FAQs

Is this related to the PA Firefly Festival Lottery Events?

No, this is a private fundraiser to benefit the PA Firefly Festival, non-profit organization and is not subject to the lottery. Twenty (20) tickets are available on a first-come basis. For more information PA Firefly Festival free events on June 25 and 26, 2027 and the lottery for the PAFF guided tours visit pafireflyevents.org.

Is this event worth the ticket price of $300 per person?

Absolutely.

This event is an exclusive party on a private 18-acre property in the Allegheny National Forest. The venue has all the necessary comfort amenities and a relaxed easy walking access to view fireflies while providing a wilderness escape experience of the forest. The small group of 20 like-minded people allows all patrons to have up close interactions with the firefly experts to answer questions and provide interpretation that you don’t get at large festival events.

The Food Trucks will provide delicious meal options with fresh ingredients and vegetarian selections. Local craft brewer, Clarion River Brewing company will supply a complimentary beer choice and paired wine selections. Sodas, coffee and teas will also be offered. Late night, campfire with S’mores and nightcaps if desired.

The PA Firefly Festival is a non-profit organization with the mission of raising awareness through educational programs. PAFF hosts the annual public firefly event, but in the off season, we provide educational programs to schools and groups. We also produce a free quarterly e-newsletter and the website without advertising dollars or sponsorships. We have no government support. Proceeds from this benefit will help PAFF to continue their mission and make it possible for us to provide information freely.

How do you know what fireflies we will see?

While we can never guarantee that Synchronous Fireflies will display and synchronize on any given night, we have been monitoring these sites for 15 years, and know the habitats and conditions that the fireflies prefer. Since 2020, the private property has been managed as a firefly sanctuary in order to protect this sensitive habitat. We know that the adult fireflies reliably emerge during the second week of June in this area and the peak activity is generally during the week of the Summer Solstice.

That said, fireflies are highly sensitive to local weather conditions like temperature and precipitation. We will proceed with the dinner event and program rain or shine, but if the weather conditions interfere with safe viewing at the time of firefly activity, we may delay viewing or offer a rain-check option. Regardless, the event and educational programming will proceed and the information you will learn will give you an appreciation of the fireflies beyond what you perhaps already know about lightning bugs.

You may want to consider booking lodging in the area for more than one night to increase your chances of seeing the fireflies.

Is there lodging nearby?

The Kellettville Firefly Farm lodging and camping will be available on Saturday night (and Sunday night if applicable) for a special rate for ticket holders only, on a first-come basis. Click here to learn more.

Click here for a full list of other lodging or camping options in Forest County and surrounding areas. The guided event is scheduled to end at 11:00 pm. However, depending on the local weather conditions, sometimes the Synchronous fireflies don't get into a full rhythm until 10:30 or 11 pm depending on temperatures, weather and moon phase. Patrons will be welcome to remain on the property to observe for as long as they desire, so nearby lodging or camping is a good plan. The closest camping site is Kellettville Campground, reservations can be made as early as 6 months in advance at Recreation.gov. Regardless of where you choose to stay, we recommend booking more than one night in order to improve your chances of seeing fireflies in case of weather impacts.

Are children allowed at this event?

This event is designed for adults due to the late hour and dark setting. Children/teens age 13 or older may attend with an adult, but must be ticketed at the full price.

The PA Firefly Festival (PAFF) in Tionesta on June 25 & 26 offers more age appropriate activities for children during the free afternoon exhibits. The PAFF firefly guided tour events are appropriate for children over the age of 5, and those events are booked through the lottery. Visit pafireflyevents.org for more information.

What is the dress code and what should I bring?

This is an outdoor, rain-or-shine event. Please dress for the weather and for several hours of outdoor activity. Bring rain gear. Wear long sleeves and pants, closed-toe sturdy footwear that can get muddy. A walking stick or trek pole is required for the walks, and we will loan one if you don’t have your own. We also suggest bringing a camp chair for your preferred seating around the campfire. We will provide the lighting, but if you bring a flashlight, it must have a red-filter.

Can I take photos or video?

Photographers who have expertise in low light long exposure photography and have appropriate equipment are welcome to bring their gear. You should plan to arrive early (i.e. by 5 pm) and you will be directed to a designated location (away from the rest of the patrons viewing) before the program begins, in order to properly set up your camera equipment.

The use of cell phones for photography or flashlights is strictly prohibited. You cannot adequately capture the fireflies on cell phones. The screens will also disrupt the viewing and experience for yourself and others.

Please let us know in advance if you plan to photograph or video.

How difficult is the walk and is this event accessible to disabled ?

The event space and the walk are easily accessible for typically able-bodied persons. If you have any mobility issues, we will do our best to accommodate your needs or make recommendations for alternatives that will allow you to see fireflies. The area is not paved or wheelchair accessible. Any patron needing physical assistance must provide their own capable assistant and that assistant must be ticketed as well.

Darkness adds an extra level of difficulty to the walks for even able-bodied participants. We require ALL participants to use walking sticks. PAFF volunteers will neither physically assist nor lift patrons. In the event you fall and cannot get up unassisted, we will offer first aid and call 911. Contact us if you need more information before you register.

What is the cancellation policy?

First, tickets are transferrable, so you may give away or privately "sell" your spot for someone to take your place. It is up to you to negotiate the terms for transferring your ticket(s) to that person(s). However, be sure to let us know who is taking your tickets and give us their contact information so that we can contact them directly with any last minute details.

Please do not sell tickets online or offer them on social media. There are a lot of online scams. If you contact us before June 12 to cancel, AND we get someone from the waiting list to take your place, we will give you a refund of the ticket value, less the taxes and fees. If we cannot fill your spot from our waiting list before June 12, or you cancel after June 12, your ticket(s) can be turned into a tax deductible donation to PA Firefly Festival, Inc. for the value of the ticket(s).

Finally, If you secured a reservation at Kellettville Firefly Farm, don’t forget to cancel with them as soon as possible in order to receive a voucher for your room or cabin reservation. If we need to cancel for any reason, (ie severe weather, nighttime temperatures or illness) we will give vouchers to use at a future date.