Firefly Festival promises free, bioluminescent fun for the whole family

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Lawrence’s first Firefly Festival — with a robust docket of live music, visual art-making and outdoor exploration — is free to all.

Attendees can roll up with bikes, wagons, and strollers for the festival, slated for 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 14 at Burroughs Creek Park, 900 E. 15th St. The splash pad along Burroughs Creek Trail will run all day to keep folks cool in the heat.

Festivities will kick off with a community picnic at 5 p.m. If attendees aren’t keen to bring food, they can patronize food trucks that will be at South Park for Lawrence’s Juneteenth Celebration.

Local bands Sky Smeed, Signal Ridge, and Megafauna will perform at a concert starting at 7 p.m. All interested musicians who bring their instruments are also welcome to star in jam sessions before and after the concert. Artists are also encouraged to bring their own supplies or use the provided ones to create visual works, which will be displayed at the festival.

After the concert, it will be time for festivalgoers to “experience the sparks on the creek,” according to a news release. Attendees can expect an interactive firefly walk, allowing them to admire the critters that flock to this environment every summer.

Community members are encouraged to observe proper firefly etiquette: minimize the use of flashlights, phone lights and bug spray. Additionally, “to support firefly habitat, allow leaf litter to remain, leave tall patches of grass and thank the rain,” according to the release. 

Participants should plan to access Burroughs Creek Park via the Burroughs Creek Trail, as the parking lot will primarily be used for setup and displaying art. However, disability accessible spots will still be available in the lot.

The festival is a collaboration between multiple community partners and the City of Lawrence. It is made possible by an Outdoors Unscripted grant awarded to community member Rachel Allai.

Learn more about the Firefly Festival through its website or Facebook.

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Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), community reporter, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at wulfe@lawrencekstimes.com.

Read their complete bio here. Read their work for the Times here.

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