Firefly Bonfire
A community event to celebrate springtime, accomplishments, and Britt Smith’s 10-year Firefly-iversary
Accomplishments are all around us, but how often do we slow down to celebrate them?
In the busy sway of the day-to-day, we can fly right past our accomplishments without commemoration. But even ordinary days are full of tiny wins. Sometimes it’s as simple as getting out of bed. Sometimes it’s life-changing.
This spring marks an important milestone for Firefly — writing coach Britt Smith has been with us for ten years. It’s been a decade of beauty and belonging, laughter and labour, stories and salves for the heart. It’s a huge accomplishment, and we want to celebrate.
Will you join us? This is for Britt, but it’s also a chance to celebrate all our creative accomplishments, tiny and tremendous, in the big loving container of this community.
Whether you know Britt or not, we’d love to see you at this event.
Come to celebrate winter being over.
Come to meet other people who love to write.
Come to be in a park at dusk.
Come to get to know Firefly team members.
Come to toast a marshmallow. (We’ll have regular and vegan ones.)
Come to have a genuine experience of community — messy and human and sweet.
Come to get delicious campfire smell on your clothes.
Come to celebrate your accomplishments, small and large.
All the details:
We know gatherings can be a lot, especially for us sensitive types! Here’s some of what we’re setting up to ease you in.
Welcome Station: There will be a table set up with a big Firefly banner for everyone to arrive at. We’ll get you set up with a name tag if you want one, we’ll introduce you to at least one new person, and give you marshmallows to toast if that’s your thing! We’ll answer all your questions and help you settle in.
Welcome Committee: We’ll have dedicated welcomers wearing bright purple stickers, watching for anyone who could use someone to chat to. If you’d like to be a welcomer, let us know, or check in and get your sticker at our welcome station when you arrive.
Volunteers: Are you someone who loves a little job? We’d love to give you one. Fill out this little form, or touch base when you get there; there will be plenty to go around.
Activities: Forget speed “dating,” we’re doing speed-writing-friending at 7:30-ish, when we’ll facilitate some silly and writing-themed connection activities for anyone who wants a structured way to start conversations. We’ll also close the evening in a group at 8:15 around the fire with some facilitated activities led by the Firefly team to help us celebrate and say goodbye.
7-7:30 Hanging out, arriving, toasting some marshmallows, settling in
7:30-7:45-ish Connection activities to help us make new writing friends
7:45-8:15 More unstructured time
8:15-8:30 Gather around the fire to celebrate and say goodbye
Getting there:
We will meet at Dufferin Grove Park on Saturday May 11th, 7-8:30pm.
It’s a big park, and you will find us at the Cobb Courtyard campfire, which is located in the south end of the park near the playground. Here’s the location on a map, look for the red teardrop.
If you’re traveling via TTC, Dufferin is the closest subway station. It’s wheelchair accessible. The park is around 600 meters south of Dufferin Station, and bus 29 stops close by at Dufferin Park Ave and Sylvan Ave.
Parking:
There’s free street parking available for up to 2 hours on Gladstone Ave (north of the park), Havelock St (east of the park), and Sylvan Ave (south of the park).
Other:
No rain date! Don’t come if it’s pouring.