Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park will open its lottery on Friday, May 6 for viewing blue ghost and synchronous fireflies at a series of events later this month and in June. The lottery will be open until midnight May 12.

Winning a spot in the program ensures the applicant one vehicle entry for a selected night of viewing, and up to six people are allowed per vehicle. Only 10 applicants per night will be selected.

The fireflies put on a lightshow. The synchronous fireflies are the only species that can synchronize flash patterns when looking for potential mates. The blue ghost firefly emits a steady blue light for up to a minute or more, giving a floating appearance.

“This is a spectacular event, and we are excited to welcome park visitors for these special evenings,” Park Ranger Tim Pharis said. “This is a small state park with limited access, so we have to limit the number of people here for the viewing. Everyone will have an equal chance at landing a spot.”

Programs for the blue ghost fireflies are May 27-29. Programs for the synchronous fireflies are June 6-8. The price is $20 for each person in the vehicle. Rocky Fork State Park will contact all winners of lottery spots, ask for the number in the party and send a personalized invoice. Unpaid invoices on May 20 will forfeit their spots and other randomly picked applicants will be selected.

Lottery entries are available online at www.tnstateparks.com/parks/events/rocky-fork. 

Lottery winners will be notified by May 15 if they are successful entries. Those not notified are those who were not selected.