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Resident says firefly events near downtown Mansfield are drawing hundreds and urges city planning for crowds
Summary
Louis (Lewis) Harden told council that private firefly-viewing events he has hosted attracted hundreds of visitors from across the region, that an outside expert estimated thousands of fireflies on the property, and that the city should plan for crowd control and trail access if visits continue to scale up.
Louis (Lewis) Harden addressed the council during citizens’ comments to report rapid growth in attendance at private firefly-viewing events on property near historic downtown Mansfield. Harden said he began events with small groups and recently limited bookings to 50 people per night; he reported multiple sold-out nights and more than 500 reservations across a run of dates in late May and early June.
Harden said he invited a firefly expert (Ben Pfeiffer of firefly.org), who estimates the property might host thousands of fireflies, and he pointed councilmembers to GoPro and social media footage documenting visitor reactions and regional attendance. Harden urged city staff and council to plan for overwhelming crowds and consider ways to manage pedestrian flows on trails and protect the resource if the events continue growing.
Mayor Evans thanked Harden and noted the events brought people to historic downtown Mansfield. Council did not take immediate action on Harden’s comments during the meeting; staff and council indicated they would be willing to meet with him for more information.
