There are many crews at the festival and each has a staff member or “Chief”. The jobs vary, and require adults 18 years and older. The time required of a Chief is more than of a crew member. Crew members work a total of 10 hours during, before or after the festival. The Chief organizes the crew, schedules the crew and does the job that needs to be done without regard to hours. A junior crew member is a child of parents that are volunteering and can range from 10 to 18 years.
Artisan Area: This job is during the festival and provides support for the artisans and their helpers. It is a public relations job and provides help in set-up, information and booth sitting for the artisans at the festival.
Performer Hospitality: This job takes place during the festival and involves helping the performers with their needs and providing security and privacy. The volunteer helps them with transportation, instruments, performance areas, geographic areas, motel assignments and product sales. Performers check in and return often to rest and pick up instruments. This is a public relations job representing the organization.
Campground: This crew works three days before (Tues.Wed.Thur) the festival and on Sunday in the late afternoon. The job is to lay out the campground in 30’ squares for tent and trailer camping. Numbered flags are put in the ground to indicate the campsites. The flags are pulled out on Sunday. A person needs to like to work outdoors in whatever the weather.
Children’s Activity Area: This job takes place during the festival, is adjacent to the Family Stage, and involves working with children 12 and under. There is Friday set-up, Saturday and then Sunday clean-up and pack-up. Many arts and crafts activities are done at tables. A volunteer should be 18 years and older. Background checks are done randomly. Parents of children are welcome and usually in attendance. This is a public relations job representing the organization.
Creature Comforts (In-house food service): This area is known as Creature Comforts and is a full working kitchen feeding around 350 people (crew and performers) for five meals. A person would need to enjoy food prep, cooking, serving and clean-up. We also need people with plumbing and electrical skills as well. This is a public relations job representing the organization.
Dance Building: This job involves hosting the dance bands, working with public address, cleaning the floor and hanging the drapes. In the event of rain this area becomes the concert location in the evening and this crew hosts the public in organizing the concert audience. This is a public relations job representing the organization.
First Aid: The volunteer in this area must be a licensed EMT, Nurse or Doctor. Credentials are required. Set-up is on Thursday and crew is always on call for all kinds of bites, scratches, headaches, etc. When necessary the ambulance is called.
Grounds: Shifts are available beginning on Wednesday evening through the weekend ending on Tuesday evening. You can work before, during, and/or after the festival. Some of the jobs include setting up canopies and aisles, moving chairs, tables and other festival equipment to proper areas. A strong back is important for some of the jobs. This crew also monitors the restrooms with supplies and mops-up. A volunteer with a pick-up or utility trailer would be a good addition.
Information Booth: This is a public relation job during the festival hours. As a representative of the organization you would help people find their way, take care of the lost and found, work with the grounds crew, answer the festival phone, sell coffee, and in general be supportive to the patrons.
Instrument Raffle: This job is during the festival and takes care of the fund raising instrument raffle and sell festival DVDs. This is a public relations job representing the organization.
Instrument Exchange: This job is during the festival and involves registering instruments from the general public to be sold to a new owner. It is a controlled area where the instruments are displayed and played. Sales benefit Old Songs and keep instruments in circulation.
Main Stage Managers: This job involves taking care of the performers when they perform. You work closely with the Sound crew. It involves hosting the performers, giving them privacy and security as they prepare to perform, setting up the stage furniture, and following the time schedule. This area is not accessible to the general public and must be secure.
Old Songs Sales Booth: This job entails selling performer product and Old Songs memorabilia. It begins early Friday afternoon and ends on Sunday night. This is a public relations job representing the organization.
Recycling: This job begins on Friday by putting out the recycle barrels around the grounds. Regular pick-ups follow and sorting into bags for the recycle center. We collect cans, glass bottles and cardboard which can be flattened. Most of the finishing up is done Sunday afternoon and evening to be sure all the recyclables are ready to go.
Parking: This is the first contact with the public. There is a handicap parking area, and a performer parking area. The general public is lined out in rows in the fields. Depending on the weather all kinds of help can be offered. This is a public relations job representing the organization.
Special Services: There is a tent near the main stage for performers and participants with their staff. This crew helps folks in whatever way necessary for a successful visit. This is public relations job representing the organization.
Camping Gate (Gate 1): This gate is open Thursday 5-9pm, Friday 9-9pm, Saturday 9-noon. Patrons with camping tickets stop here to surrender their tickets and find their camping place. Members of the crew work on the campground to help with placement. This job is a public relations job representing the organization.
Hospitality (Gate 2): This is a security gate. Performers, crew, vendors, artisans and campers enter and leave through this gate. This is the check-in point for everyone working at the festival. No general admission tickets are sold here. The gate is open Thursday evening 5-9pm, all-day Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets Main Gate (Gate 3): This gate sells tickets to the festival and is the main entrance for the public. The gate opens at 1pm Friday and is open all day Saturday and Sunday. This is an important public relations point for the patrons coming to the festival and gives a good impression on our organization.
Workshop Stage Managers: This job is to host many of the performance areas during the festival and to provide an information table. The crew member at each performance area is to assist the performers and PA operators, and to introduce the performer when the workshop begins. The goal is to keep the area running on schedule (workshops begin and end on time) and to help the performers with anything they need. The performance seating areas are divided into LOW and HIGH with aisles which are to be kept clear for safety and easy access. If there are chairs or benches they need to be straightened after each workshop.