Grandfather Glows

Research on Grandfather Mountain has confirmed the presence of 10 species of fireflies or luminous insects, including synchronous fireflies (Photinus carolinus), blue ghost fireflies (Phausis reticulata) and glowworms (Orfelia fultoni). Synchronous fireflies are habitat specialists and thrive in northern hardwood forests, such as those found at Grandfather Mountain.

These glowing wonders only appear for a few weeks each year. Our annual Grandfather Glows events open our nature park for three nights during mid-June to mid-July, the forecasted peak times, for special bioluminescent evenings, weather and conditions permitting.

2026 Event Dates

• Tuesday, June 16 (Rain date: Wednesday, June 17)
• Thursday, June 18 (Rain date: Friday, June 19)
• Saturday, June 20 (Rain date: Sunday, June 21)

Rain Dates – Please Read and Make Sure You Understand This Important Info
We will once again offer a “rain date” for each event date. If Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation cancels an event due to adverse weather or conditions, a rain date will be provided immediately following the event date.

For example, if you are interested in the June 16 Grandfather Glows event, you need to make sure your schedule is open both June 16 AND June 17. The event will be scheduled for June 16, and we will make every effort to have the event that date.

However, if a forecast of adverse weather conditions threatens the event, we will make the call (by noon the day of the event) and move the event to the June 17 rain date. No refunds will be issued if you purchase a June 16 ticket but aren’t able to attend the event when it is moved to the June 17 rain date.

Refunds will be issued if Grandfather Mountain has to cancel both your original event date and your rain date.

Important Info for 2026

• The 2026 Grandfather Glows lottery is open from 12 a.m. Friday, May 22 to 11:59 p.m. Thursday, May 28, Eastern Time.
• The first round of lottery winners will be emailed Friday, May 29 at 10 a.m.
• The second round of lottery winners will be emailed Wednesday, June 3 at 10 a.m.

If a lottery registrant has not been contacted by Grandfather Mountain by the end of the day June 3, the registrant did not win the 2026 Grandfather Glows lottery. There will be no waitlist for tickets for the event.

Frequently asked Grandfather Glows Lottery Questions:

Q: How much does it cost to enter the lottery?
A: A lottery entry is $5, plus tax.

Q: How do I pick the date for the specific event I want to attend? How do I let Grandfather Mountain know how many tickets I’m interested in?
A: You do not need to worry about selecting your preferred event date or indicating how many tickets you would like during the initial lottery registration. If selected as a winner, you will have the opportunity to purchase up to six tickets.

Q: How many times can I enter the lottery?
A: Only one entry per email address is allowed. Our system will not allow you to enter the same email address more than once.

Q: How many people get tickets to the events? What are my chances?

A: The amount of lottery “winners” changes each year depending on how many tickets each person is buying. (A lottery winner can purchase up to six tickets.) Looking back at last year’s data, 2025 lottery entries had a 1 in 20 shot of being selected as a “winner.”

Find more details about Grandfather Glows here.