Forget the Firefly Lottery—This Mississippi Show Glows Just as Bright

Every spring I try my luck with the Smoky Mountains firefly lottery. It’s a whole thing—timers set, multiple browsers open, fingers crossed like I’m trying to score Taylor Swift tickets. And every year, I come up empty.

But here’s what I didn’t know until recently: Mississippi’s got its own firefly spectacle. Same rare synchronous glow. Same blink-and-you’ll-miss-it timing. But no crowds, no permits, no stressful login screens. Just show up and let the woods do the rest.

The star of the show is the Snappy Sync Firefly Tours, happening mid-May just off the Natchez Trace Parkway in Ridgeland. And this year’s lineup is better than ever:

Snappy Sync Firefly Events in Ridgeland, MS

• Snappy Sync Soirée
  🗓 Thursday, May 15
  💵 Tickets: $40
  🍷 A preview party with music, wine, light bites, and extended firefly viewing from 7:30–9:30 p.m. It’s part nature walk, part summer kickoff celebration—with glowing bugs as the guest of honor.

• Firefly Tours
  🗓 Friday, May 16 – Sunday, May 18
  💵 Tickets: $8
  🌲 20-minute guided tours led by a Mississippi Master Naturalist. You’ll walk through pine and hardwood forest near the historic Old Trace, where the fireflies flash in synchronized rhythm.
  🔬 Each tour includes a firefly count to help researchers track how firefly populations bounce back from tough weather years (like last summer’s drought).

• Firefly Day Camp (Ages 6–12)
  🗓 Saturday, May 17 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  💵 Tickets: $75
  🧒 Kids explore firefly habitats with naturalists, create art (pottery, painting, crafts), and get a ticket to the Saturday night tour. It’s science + snacks + sparkle.
  👨‍👩‍👧 Families can purchase extra Saturday night tickets to join in the magic.

You can also catch firefly magic farther north at Wall Doxey State Park, near Holly Springs, where eight different species blink into view—including Photuris walldoxeyi, the cypress firefly discovered by expert Lynn Frierson Faust and named for the park. There’s no formal tour there, just show up, walk the trails, and wait for the flicker.

If you’re making the drive from Atlanta, Ridgeland is a pretty ideal basecamp. It’s roughly 6 hours straight across I-20 East, so it’s an easy, direct route—no twisty backroads or GPS trickery required.

Definitely doable as a weekend trip, especially if you leave Atlanta Friday morning and roll into Ridgeland in time for a sunset firefly tour. Bonus – there are enough activities to turn a weekend getaway into a full-on adventure:

• Barnett Reservoir: 33,000 acres of water + kayak rentals + fishing + 1929 biplane rides
• Cycling trails + BMX track: Especially great for families
• Zoo, aquarium, kids museum, and petrified forest: Less crowds, more room to roam
• Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi: Hosts the firefly tours, but also offers live demos, classes, and local handmade art
• Cocktail Trail + Art Trail: Explore local flavor at your own pace

But honestly? I’d drive all that way just for those fireflies. There’s something about that quiet, glowing rhythm in the trees that makes the rest of the world fade out. No ticket lottery required.