(Submitted by the Bowling Green Human Relations Commission)
The Bowling Green Human Relations Commission is proud to recognize the Firefly Nights organization with its Honor Roll Award. Firefly Nights is a monthly summer festival in downtown Bowling Green that brings together all segments of the community for food, music, activities, and shopping.
The idea for a festival began during a downtown business owners meeting to find more ways to increase foot traffic to downtown businesses, and help bring Bowling Green together. Downtown business owners Laura Wicks, Kati Thompson, Gayle Walterbach and Stacie Banfield took the idea and turned it into what is now known as Firefly Nights.
Through this event, they have been able to bring many people of Bowling Green together. Gayle Walterbach, owner of Coyote Beads, said, “it’s really diverse because it hits the young children activities, from children to young adults, to adults and older adults as well.” She added, “it’s really a festival for everyone.”
Laura Wicks, co-owner of Grounds for Thought, said that Bowling Green “made a commitment for a long time to beautify downtown and make it a strong community” which this event promotes.
Stacie Banfield, owner of the downtown Mode Elle Boutique said while it is an amazing event for the community it also builds up Bowling Green because they put “several thousand people in front of your establishment and show what downtown Bowling Green really, truly has to offer.”
The group has already made sure that the event is free so that there is no economic barrier, and everyone can enjoy. The organization plans to also add to the already-diverse music and advertise in different languages to bring even more people together. Wicks added that diversity is an intentional choice, that you can’t just say you are open to anyone. The Firefly Nights team plans to actively pursue diversity as the organization moves forward.
The Firefly Nights organization was nominated for this award because this team of more than 100 volunteers works tirelessly year-round to plan the events for our community, to ensure a series of nights where Bowling Green comes together as one community. They plan for all ages, families, and backgrounds to be included in their events so that everyone can have a good time.
