A brand-new summer celebration will be lighting up southeast Nebraska this weekend. The inaugural Firefly Festival will take place Saturday in downtown Bennet and will feature food, games, and a headline performance by Jadyn Olesen and AM/FM. Olesen was a recent finalist on NBC’s The Voice.
“We’re thrilled to bring something fresh and fun to the Bennet community,” saysKristin Nelson, a founding member of the Bennet Economic Development Association and event organizer. “It’s been an idea in the works for a while, and the timing finally felt right to bring it to life.”
Nelson says The Firefly Festival aims to celebrate summer, connection, and community pride. “We wanted to create an event that brought families, neighbors, and local businesses together, something whimsical and meaningful,” Nelson tells KLIN News fireflies are such a nostalgic symbol of summer evenings, and the name felt like the perfect way to capture that magic.
She also wants people to come to learn about the Firefly Petunia. “It glows in the dark and will be available for sale at Tailored Landscapes during the event.”
The festival is free to the public and proceeds from food truck, vendor fees, raffle ticket sales and donations to BEDA. “We want this to be accessible to everyone while also raising funds for projects like small business development and infrastructure improvements in Bennet,” Nelson says.
She tells KLIN the association sees the Firefly Festival as a way to grow both pride and visibility for the town. “This is about more than a one-day event,” Nelson says. “We’re hoping to create an annual tradition that becomes a signature fundraiser and community touchstone for years to come.”
Nelson says the highlight of the night will be the performance by AM/FM. “It’s huge to have AM/FM headline in our very first year,” Nelson said. “We’re excited to show off our little community to a big crowd and hopefully the fireflies will be out in time.”
Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.