Firefly Festival Update

5-weeks to go and preparations continue for the first annual PA Firefly Festival, June 21 & 22, here at Black Caddis Ranch B & B and Cabins at Camp Fossil Creek.  We are completely booked in the main house and cabins.  However, we have primitive campsites available for those of you who like to "ruff-it".  If you need more creature comforts, go to www.VisitPaGo.com for lists of accommodations in the area.

This is a FREE event, and we are expecting up to 15 different exhibitors, live music, games and activities for kids, and nightly firefly walks into the surrounding forest.  If you want to just come for the day and evening activities, bring a lawn chair or blanket, and enjoy the firefly display.  For more updates, go to the blog pafireflyfestival.blogspot.com

We hope you will join us for this special event.  However, if you can't make it that weekend, we still have plenty of open weeks and weekends here and plenty of firefly viewing well into July, along with all the other activities in the forest.  Don't forget Rodeo weekend July 25, 26 & 27.  

Annual Trout Fishing Opening

Trout Fishing Opens Saturday, April 13, and we're looking forward to an ideal season.  The early spring snows and slow warm-up have filled-up the creeks, and provided the perfect conditions this year. We are looking forward to getting our lines wet this year, and hoping to land that record trout! The cabins are booked for opening weekend, but we have availability in the lodge, and the cabins are open through June so far.   Hope you will join us soon.

First Annual PA Firefly Festival

SAVE THE DATE: JUNE 21-23, 2013
We are hosting the first annual PA Firefly Festival here at Black Caddis Ranch B&B and the Cabins at Camp Fossil Creek.  We are so excited about this new event that in addition to the B&B and Cabins, we are opening the grounds to tent camping that weekend.  There are festivities planned for families and children of all ages.  We are planning on having special interest groups display and give out information concerning the forest and specifically fireflies.  T-shirts and blue flashlights will be on sale to raise money for the festival.  Family-friendly music, entertainment and door prize give-aways are planned for Saturday afternoon.  On Friday and Saturday nights, you will be able to visit several different sites through out the area to view and observe the diverse species of fireflies we have in the ANF. You will find that watching fireflies is a peaceful and awe inspiring activity.  We hope you will join us.

B&B Lodging of course includes a farm style breakfast.  We can accommodate family sizes from 2 to 10, and rates vary, starting at $60.00 per person/night.  We have two (2) bunkhouse cabins available this year, that will sleep up to 5 adults each; rates start at $60 per night.  The tent camping for the festival is primitive only, no electric, no water, and port-a-johns will be onsite for the event; rate is $10 per night/tent.  Tent sites are limited to 20 and reservations are required.  Make your reservations early.

Check out the new PA Firefly Festival blog spot at www.pafireflyfestival.blogspot.com, and LIKE us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ANFFireflyFestivalParticipants.  There will be regular posts and blogs about the firefly activity and sightings leading up to the event weekend.

Winterfest

Kellettville Winterfest Saturday, January 26, 1:00-4:00 here at Black Caddis Ranch.
Ride-in or Drive-in for some hotdogs and cocoa.  Freewill  donations for the Forest County Snowmobile Association.

Holidays 2012

We are looking forward to the Holidays at BCR.  Buck season starts tomorrow, so the area is brimming with hunters, and they are all excited about the snow.   We are all finished with the decorating, and no one's happier than Ken about that.  The snowmobile fences went up yesterday.  Hopefully, this will be cold snowy winter, so that we have good snowmobiling. We are booking now for January and February, even Trout opening.  Be sure to book your stay early.  If you book before Jan. 1st, current rates apply.  The rate increases for the lodge and cabin starts January 1, 2013.

Fall 2012

The leaves are turning fast!  We already have a lot of color, and it will probably peak this week just in time for Autumn Leaf Festival in Clarion, Applefest in Franklin and Johnny Appleseed in Sheffield next weekend.  Come enjoy the scenery, and fall activities.

The BCR lodge has 5 rooms, and sleeps up to 10 adults with 1 queen room, 1 double, and 3 twin rooms.  There are 2 full baths in the lodge and lots of common areas to gather.  Breakfast is included.

 The Camp Fossil Creek cabin sleeps up to 5 adults.

We have plenty of weekends available in the BCR lodge.  Currently, only the 10/18-23 is unavailable for lodge.  The cabin is open from 10/23 through 11/30.  The cabin closes for the winter season on December 9.

Don't forget to look for us on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Caddis-Ranch-BB/174194685946219 and "LIKE" us.

Summer 2012

We've had our busiest summer yet.  Many guests from out of state and even different countries.  We started with the fisherman in May from Michigan.  June brought the guests from the Netherlands, and we can't forget the Firefly hunters.  We had scientists here from Tennessee, Georgia, Germany and Belgium, for 10 days studying the Pyralis Carolinus, aka Synchronous firefly, in Forest County.  We learned a lot about our habitat and fireflies.  You can listen to our NPR interview on the Allegheny Front website.  July brought the Rodeo at the Flying W Ranch of course, and rain returned to bring up the creeks.  We've had even more guests in the cabin at Camp Fossil Creek, and family and friends joining us from Ohio.  August brought in wedding guests from Somerset, a gentleman traveler from New Jersey and a family from Beaver.  Every one has been so nice and seemed to enjoy their stay.  We really enjoy getting to know each one and  sharing experiences with them.  We love sharing our "little bit of heaven" with our guests.

Fall looks just as promising.  Already, weekends are booking up in September and October for the cabin.  The cabin is already booked for the opening week of Buck Season!!

The weather is starting to cool off in the evenings, so no air conditioning is required.  The leaves should be colorful since we've had more rain.  Some trees are already starting to change.  Come enjoy the autumn festivals and activities.