Neglect the Firefly Lottery—This Mississippi Present Glows Simply as Vibrant

Each spring I strive my luck with the Smoky Mountains firefly lottery. It’s an entire factor—timers set, a number of browsers open, fingers crossed like I’m attempting to attain Taylor Swift tickets. And yearly, I come up empty.

However right here’s what I didn’t know till lately: Mississippi’s bought its personal firefly spectacle. Similar uncommon synchronous glow. Similar blink-and-you’ll-miss-it timing. However no crowds, no permits, no aggravating login screens. Simply present up and let the woods do the remainder.

The star of the present is the Snappy Sync Firefly Excursions, taking place mid-Could off the Natchez Hint Parkway in Ridgeland. And this 12 months’s lineup is healthier than ever:

Snappy Sync Firefly Occasions in Ridgeland, MS

• Snappy Sync Soirée
  🗓 Thursday, Might 15
  💵 Tickets: $40
  🍷 A preview celebration with music, wine, gentle bites, and prolonged firefly viewing from 7:30–9:30 p.m. It’s half nature stroll, half summer season kickoff celebration—with glowing bugs because the visitor of honor.

• Firefly Excursions
  🗓 Friday, Might 16 – Sunday, Might 18
  💵 Tickets: $8
  🌲 20-minute guided excursions led by a Mississippi Grasp Naturalist. You’ll stroll by pine and hardwood forest close to the historic Previous Hint, the place the fireflies flash in synchronized rhythm.
  🔬 Every tour features a firefly rely to assist researchers observe how firefly populations bounce again from robust climate years (like final summer season’s drought).

• Firefly Day Camp (Ages 6–12)
  🗓 Saturday, Might 17 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  💵 Tickets: $75
  🧒 Youngsters discover firefly habitats with naturalists, create artwork (pottery, portray, crafts), and get a ticket to the Saturday night time tour. It’s science + snacks + sparkle.
  👨‍👩‍👧 Households should buy further Saturday night time tickets to affix within the magic.

You can even catch firefly magic farther north at Wall Doxey State Park, close to Holly Springs, the place eight completely different species blink into view—together with Photuris walldoxeyi, the cypress firefly found by knowledgeable Lynn Frierson Faust and named for the park. There’s no formal tour there, simply present up, stroll the paths, and look forward to the sparkle.

Should you’re making the drive from Atlanta, Ridgeland is a reasonably preferrred basecamp. It’s roughly 6 hours straight throughout I-20 East, so it’s a straightforward, direct route—no twisty backroads or GPS trickery required.

Positively doable as a weekend journey, particularly when you go away Atlanta Friday morning and roll into Ridgeland in time for a sundown firefly tour. Bonus – there are sufficient actions to show a weekend getaway right into a full-on journey:

• Barnett Reservoir: 33,000 acres of water + kayak leases + fishing + 1929 biplane rides
• Biking trails + BMX observe: Particularly nice for households
• Zoo, aquarium, youngsters museum, and petrified forest: Much less crowds, extra room to roam
• Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi: Hosts the firefly excursions, but additionally gives stay demos, courses, and native handmade artwork
• Cocktail Path + Artwork Path: Discover native taste at your personal tempo

However truthfully? I’d drive all that means only for these fireflies. There’s one thing about that quiet, glowing rhythm within the bushes that makes the remainder of the world fade out. No ticket lottery required.