Glowing SUCCESS!!

The weekend was a big SUCCESS!  We couldn't have asked for better weather.  The registered attendance was  522. The late comers brings the estimated attendance to at least 600.  We sold out all the adult Large, XL and 2X t-shirts, and the donations kept coming in.  We had 24 tents, and 2 full cabins.  The music was fantastic and very entertaining.  The variety of food and drinks satisfied all the appetites, and the arts & craft vendors added some fun unique items.   The grand finale' was the fireflies themselves, and they put on quite a show for those willing to venture into the dark forest late at night.

Sunday morning clean-up was surprisingly easy, because everyone picked-up after themselves.  There was virtually NO LITTER left behind in the field or lawn.  We are so impressed by the attendees thoughtful courtesy and stewardship of the area.   We hope you will join us next year at the 3rd Annual PAFF on the 4th Saturday in June.

We will  have some photos and video to post soon.

The Countdown Is ON!

7 days left.  The fireflies are synchronizing right now.  We've been going out into the camp and on the bridge this weekend.  We've witnessed synchronous displays, Chinese Lanterns and Fast Fives in all locations.

The word is spreading quickly, and we've had some nice articles and radio interviews creating a real buzz.  We can't wait to see what all this does for the festival.  We've had a couple more food vendors and arts & crafters join the ranks as well.

http://www.post-gazette.com/life/travel/2014/06/22/At-Firefly-Festival-near-Tionesta-thousands-of-bugs-will-be-blinking-in-sync/stories/2014061101

http://www.wesb.com/listen/


 http://www.alleghenyfront.org/story/fireflies-give-brilliant-show-allegheny-national-forest


Please note: the Allegheny National Forest is considered a wilderness area.  Your participation in the activities at the festival are at your own risk.

• You will be in areas that are not readily accessible, and require some level of physical strength and ability.  If you have physical limitations, let us know when you arrive, so that we can try to provide some access accommodations.   
• If you have young children, please keep them close, and well supervised, especially around the creeks and after dark. 
• Dogs must be leashed at all times and under control.  Dog owners are responsible for picking up and disposing of any excrement.  Excessive barking or loose dogs will be asked to leave.
• Please, use the trash boxes provided for all litter.
• Be sure to bring a lawn/camp chair, dress appropriately for the weather and hiking.  Sunscreen and bug spray are highly recommended.  

We are a GLOW!!

Despite the recent flash flood in the Kelletville area, we will be ready for the festival.  Route 666 did get washed out in a number of spots east of the Black Caddis Ranch.  Don't worry, we are OPEN and accessible from the west end of Route 666 in East Hickory (see the directions and alternate routes to the left).

The good news is: we are getting reports of the start of Synchronous firefly activity.  The mGDDs are climbing, and this means we are on track for a peak the week of the festival.  Some of the soft signs include the blooming of crown vetch.  We have buds on the day lilies and the blueberries are weeks away from ripening.  This late spring has been good for our plans to have the festival a week later.

Give us a call at 814-463-7606 or contact us at pafireflyfestival@gmail.com for more information.

Entomologist on board

Three weeks to go, and we are pleased to announce Dr. Denise Piechnik from Pitt-Bradford will be here as our resident festival entomologist this year to help us learn about insects and fireflies.  We have started to see some intermittent fireflies in the field.  These are not Synchronous, and we have not seen any sign of them in the forest.  We will let you know if and when we do.  We are tracking the   mGDDs*, and the trend seems to be tracking for a peak just in time for the festival.  YEAH!!!

We are getting calls daily for campsites.  If you are geared up for tent camping, you are welcome to stay here on-site for a nominal fee.  We just need to have an idea of how many, so please call to reserve your site.  If you have a large RV, the Kellettville Campground has limited sites available on a first-come basis.  If you don't mind a longer drive, (and Kellettville is full), I highly recommend Chapman Dam State Park campground.  It is located outside of Clarendon off of Route 6, between Warren and Sheffield and is about a 45 minute drive from Kellettville.  You can make reservations for their sites, and there are probably fireflies there too.

We have a lot planned for the day to keep kids of all ages entertained and informed.  When you register you will get a ticket for door prize drawings, and you can watch videos on fireflies this year in the home-theater in the basement of the B&B.  Please, register to be an official Firefly Watcher at the Museum of Science website to support the Firefly Watch Citizens Science Project.  We have plans for art projects for kids, story readings, haiku writing contests, geocaching, face-painting and games.  We have 2014 T-shirts in Youth and Adult sizes and blue flashlights on sale.  We've also added UVGlosticks and UVO Necklaces for sale.  These glow-in-the dark items are completely solar powered and infinitely rechargeable.  We also have a limited number of last year's inaugural T-shirt for all of you collectors.  All proceeds from sales go to the PAFF to offset costs and build for next year's festival.

There will be food and beverages available from 12-8pm this year.  We have the SWAT youth group hot dog sale, 12-4; St. Anthony's Women's Guild strawberry shortcake sale, 12-4; Wild Hogs lemonade/iced tea, 12-8, Heaven's Loving Hands Puppet Ministry soda pop, 12-8; Liberty Tax popcorn sale, 12-8, Deck the Halls Catering dinner special, 4-8, and Everything Turkey Farm turkey jerky, 12-8.

The Music starts at 12-noon with Grace Church from Medina, Ohio; at 1:00, Joyful Noise, at 2:00, Front Porch Folk from Oil City; at 3:00, Dominick DeCecco from Endeavor; at 4:00, Reunion; at 5:00 Stony & Co.; at 6:00, Broke, Stranded & Ugly, from Pittsburgh, and finally at 7:00, The Hills and The Rivers from Pittsburgh.  After the music, we will gather for a Campfire presentation on how to best observe the fireflies, and begin to disperse to the areas for viewing.

Please, come well prepared to walk in the forest at night.  Dress appropriately for the weather and walking on uneven ground.  If you have physical limitations and need help, let us know, and we will try to make some accommodations for you to access the areas as closely as possible. Local residents may want to bring a camp chair to provide seating during the music fest or in the forest for firefly viewing.