You're not imagining it. Fireflies are having a good year.

The big picture: In general, firefly populations have declined over the last 100 years, said Megan Abraham, division director and state entomologist at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

• Yes, but: Conditions were good for fireflies this year, and there are likely more of them lighting up night skies near you than in recent summers.

What she's saying: "Every once in a while, we'll see a resurgence because of perfect weather conditions and there will be fireflies all over and that's what we're seeing this year," Abraham said.

How they work: Fireflies lay their eggs in moist soil and leaf litter.

• They emerge in the spring and early summer.
• Once they reach adulthood later in the summer, their sole focus is to reproduce and then, after a couple of weeks to months (depending on the species), they die.

Threat level: A late freeze can kill larvae after they've emerged, but a hot, dry spring can dry them up.

• "We had a mild, moist spring, and they had a really good larval stage," Abraham said.

Zoom out: Much of the country had a warmer, wetter spring than usual.

Fun facts: There are more than 2,000 species of fireflies, and they produce light in different ways.

• The Say's firefly, named for Hoosier entomologist Thomas Say, is the state insect.
• Also known as lightning bugs in much of the Midwest and eastern U.S., fireflies are neither bugs nor flies. They're beetles.

How fireflies have been impacted by humans

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, and Central Indiana is celebrating our nation turning 249 years old by filling the night sky with red, white and blue bursts of freedom that will probably freak out your dog.

Zoom in: To make sure your holiday weekend is lit, here are 10 places to catch a fireworks show in the Indy area.

Downtown Indy's Fourth Fest is back for a third year of celebrating at the American Legion Mall.

• A street festival featuring live music, food trucks and a kids zone starts at 6pm tomorrow.
• Fireworks, shot from the top of the building at 500 N. Meridian, start at 10pm and will be synced to patriotic jams aired on local Radio One radio stations.
• Organizers suggest the Indiana War Memorial Grounds and American Legion Mall as the best viewing spots.

Victory Field is delivering baseball with a boom during its July 4th celebration tomorrow night.

• After the Indianapolis Indians and Louisville Bats game that starts at 6:35pm, stick around for a postgame fireworks show.

CarmelFest will pack two days of patriotism and partying into Carmel's Civic Square, and chairs are already lining the streets of the suburb as people pick prime spots for the parade that starts at 10am tomorrow.

• Catch livestream coverage of the parade here.
• The festival runs from 1-10pm Thursday and noon-10pm tomorrow.
• Fireworks start at 9:45pm tomorrow.

More ways to get your fireworks fix

🏀 The Indiana Fever made franchise history this week when they beat the Lynx Tuesday night to secure the team's first Commissioner's Cup. Natasha Howard was named MVP of the in-season tournament.

• With the win, the Fever secured $23,000 for their selected community organization, Peace Learning Center. (WNBA)

💵 The Trump administration has withheld billions in federal education funding from states across the U.S., including nearly $95 million for Indiana, which was expected to be accessible on July 1. (Axios)

🐶 Mayor Joe Hogsett has tapped Amanda Dehoney-Hinkle, the current superintendent of Greenfield-Hancock Animal Management, to take over as the new director of Indianapolis Animal Care Services. (IndyStar)

🏊 The Eagle Creek Park Beach swimming area is reopening today after a closure due to elevated levels of E. coli. (WTHR)

🏐 Swiss national volleyball team coach Lauren Bertolacci has been named the new head coach of the Indy Ignite. (WISH)

🫶 The Indiana Pacers have launched the "Hearts for Hali" campaign to rally support of Tyrese Haliburton as he recovers from a torn Achilles. Fans are invited to submit video or photo or messages at this link. (WRTV)

Fletcher Place Community Center is celebrating the arrival of summer with much-needed facility upgrades and a new mural from a local artist.

Why it matters: Improvements made to the east side gathering spot represent one of four "legacy projects" Hoosier nonprofits are rolling out this year with the support of $1 million in grant funding from the WNBA All-Star 2025 Host Committee.

Driving the news: FPCC and community leaders unveiled their All-Star facelift last week. Updates include kitchen improvements, upgrading the REACH Early Learning playground and toddler play space, a new greenhouse and enhancing the community garden.

• They also shared a mural by Boxx the Artist, a 2024 Art & Soul headliner who has installed more than 10 murals in Indy.
• Titled "Rooted Together," the goal of the mural was to honor the history of FPCC and its values of hope, compassion and renewal.

What's next

Indy's largest food festival is back for another delicious day at White River State Park.

What's happening: The Taste of Indy will serve up food, games, live music and more from 11am-9pm Saturday.

Catch up quick: The festival made its debut in 2012 and grew into an attraction that drew more than 18,000 people.

• Limited resources led to the cancellation of the event in 2019, but it made a big post-pandemic comeback last summer.

What they're saying: "Taste of Indy has become more than just a food festival — it's a celebration of our city's culture and creativity," event organizer Jonathan Warren said in a statement.

If you go: Tickets start at $20.

The rest of our picks for the long weekend