By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Michelle Ellison admitted as first time director of Firefly Nights, she felt some anxiety before Friday’s return of the summer festival series.
Still, she was confident. “I knew there would be a good turnout. People love Firefly Nights.”
After a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic, the summer festival series, first launched in 2018, was back in full force.
“BG showed up tonight,” Ellison said. “We couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
“Isn’t it great?” said Mayor Mike Aspacher sitting outside the bounce house on Wooster Green where his grandchild was playing. “Bowling Green loves a festival.”
Having DORA – Downtown Outdoor Refreshment Area – designation supports the event, he said.
DORA was not in place when the previous festivals were held. Instead a specially permitted beer garden area was set up around the main stage area.
People felt that to hear the music and have an adult beverage they had to go into the beer garden, and they felt separated from the other activities, particularly the kids activities, said Ellison, who had previously booked the entertainment for Firefly Nights.
Now everything flowed together.
“We’re trying to make it inclusive for families” as well as folks without children, she said. The goal is “for everybody to mix together.”
[RELATED: Firefly Nights recruiting volunteers as the series of festivals looks to bounce back in a big way]
She said the only complaints she heard were about the lines inside establishments serving DORA drinks. That’s a good problem to have.
The food vendors parked in the Huntington Bank parking lot on the corner of South Main and Clough also had lines, she said.
Everyone was happy with the amount of business, she said.
That lot, however, was not within the DORA zone. Ellison said the seating was placed on South Main Street which is.
Aspacher said there are discussions are underway about expanding both the footprint of DORA, and time period. Now it extends from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
Katelynn Garrett, 20, was there with her family, including 11-year-old sister Kiera.
Katelynn said she enjoyed the festival as a place to go with family and friends. It was a celebration of how open the community was.
Kiera liked all the activities offered, as well as a chance see the creativity of the arts and crafts vendors.
Kayleigh Evans, who was there with her 6-month -old and 3-year-old son, said she always likes when there’s a chance to get out into the community.
Darlene Berry came from Perrysburg. She was attracted by the presence of street performers from Glovation.
Students Madison Eby and Ethan Thompson were picking out a plant from the Green Corner vendor for her apartment. Thompson said he learned of the festival from the signs notifying the public that Main Street would be closed, and they decided to check out the event.
Ellison said it was too early determine if any changes needed to be made before the next festival on July 15, though the new board members did learn something after about setting up the event.
Any changes, though, she said, will have one goal, to make Firefly Nights even better.
