Crew Descriptions
With 50+ crews, our volunteers are responsible for running every aspect of the Festival!
Crew Descriptions quick-jump
Campgrounds
These crews foster two special communities within our community – the Festival and Quiet Campgrounds.
Note: this crew does NOT qualify for complimentary camping.
The Box Office volunteers are the first smiling faces to welcome campers on Wednesday and to trade your ticket for the wristband that will give you access to the campground and festival all weekend.
What we do:
- Bankers: prepare floats of cash and wristbands; prepare deposits
- Wristbanders: scan all tickets and provide appropriate wristband; account for all wristbands used
What is required:
- Strong customer service skills
- Cash handling experience and comfort working with cash
- Comfort using tablets and POS systems
- Availability: all volunteers work the campground load-in on Wednesday (usually a double shift), as well as two additional 4-hour shifts (one of which may be at the Main Gate Box Office), Wednesday through Sunday
This crew spreads the word to “leave only your footprints” in the Festival Campground. Volunteers help to keep the campground clean by interacting with campers and monitoring the waste depots.
What we do:
- Engage with campers to distribute bags and ensure campsites are kept clean
- Monitor waste depots and move bagged waste to appropriate bins
- Keep washrooms and porta-potties stocked with toilet paper
What is required:
- Able to lift and pull 40 lbs
- Able to stand and/or walk for five hours at a time
- Strong communication skills
- Training: online Campground Enviro course
- Availability: four 5-hour shifts and a mandatory shift on the Monday post-Festival
Volunteers working inside the campground will be given a complimentary camping pass for the campground in which they are working.
The main role of this crew is to act as ambassadors to the 6,000 campers who come to stay in the Festival Campground. A good pair of walking shoes and a sense of humour is a must!
What we do:
- Access teams: check accreditation at entrance points
- Steward teams: identify and resolve any incidents while on patrol
- Support teams: radio operator (Dispatch), record-keeping (Scribe), lost and found, information
What is required:
- Strong customer service skills
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Ability to work overnight in a ‘lively’ outdoor setting
- Ability to stand and/or walk for 6 hours
- Must be 18 years or older
- Mandatory training: online role-related course(s)
- Availability: most of the crew works Wednesday through Sunday, three 7-hour shifts (each team works at least one overnight)
Volunteers working inside the campground will be given a complimentary camping pass for the campground in which they are working.
The Quiet Campground is a unique community within the festival, and this box office crew, working closely with Quiet Campground Safety, ensures that our quiet campers are well taken care of. We’re looking for folks who can be positive festival ambassadors and good problem solvers in this more remote setting.
What we do:
- Scan all tickets and provide appropriate wristband
- Account for all wristbands used
- Monitor gate access, ensuring all campers have the appropriate wristbands
What is required:
- Strong customer service skills
- Strong organizational skills
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Crew meeting includes Traffic Control Safety training in order to work around vehicles
- Availability: three 6-hour shifts, Wednesday through Sunday
Volunteers working inside the campground will be given a complimentary camping pass for the campground in which they are working.
The Quiet Campground is a unique community within the festival, and this safety crew, working closely with Quiet Campground Box Office, ensures that our quiet campers are well taken care of. We’re looking for folks who can be positive festival ambassadors and good problem solvers in this more remote setting.
What we do:
- Monitor gate access, ensuring all campers have the appropriate wristbands
- Patrol the campground by bicycle, ensuring regulations are being followed and assisting campers where possible
- Monitor RV load-in Wednesday-Friday to ensure space is being well-used
What is required:
- Strong customer service skills
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Ability to stand and/or walk for 4 hours
- Crew meeting includes Traffic Control Safety training in order to work around vehicles
- Availability: three or four shifts depending on length, Wednesday through Sunday
Volunteers working inside the campground will be given a complimentary camping pass for the campground in which they are working.
Communications & Audience Support
Keeping our audience informed and up-to-date on all things Winnipeg Folk Festival.
Audience Services is the main point of contact for all audience inquiries and is full of experienced folks who are there to offer friendly service to all festival patrons.
What we do:
- Answer audience inquiries
- Receive audience feedback and pass along regularly to crew leadership
- Distribute program guides
- Provide information and support for all accessibility services available at the Festival
- Operate the lost and found
What is required:
- Extensive festival experience
- Strong customer service skills
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Confidentiality
- Some heavy lifting
- Organizational skills (cash handling an asset)
- Availability: four 4-hour shifts, all 4 days of the festival
This small crew is responsible for providing information and messaging to our audience and introducing workshops and performers. If you are outgoing and comfortable with a microphone, this might be your gig.
What we do:
- Study artist and festival information in advance
- Speak to audiences before and after daytime sets and deliver Folk Fest key messaging
- Motivate and inspire the crowd
What is required:
- Strong public speaking skills
- Professionalism
- Adaptability
- Availability: three 7-hour shifts, Friday through Sunday
This crew provides information and hospitality services to volunteers, performers, and other guests backstage. Volunteers on this crew are typically festival veterans who know the ins and outs of festival operations.
What we do:
- Provide general information to volunteers, performers, and other backstage guests
- Operate the backstage phone charging station
- Distribute program guides to volunteers
- Maintain hospitality supplies and spaces
- Accept feedback/suggestions and pass along to staff
- Check in apprentice volunteers
What is required:
- Extensive festival experience
- Strong customer service skills
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Confidentiality
- Organizational skills
- Availability: four 4-hour shifts, all 4 days of the festival
This crew is the main point of contact for all media outlets visiting the site. We’re looking for technology-friendly folks with festival experience and professionalism.
What we do:
- Check-in media upon arrival
- Fulfill media/artist interview requests
- Communicate any and all photo/video/media restrictions of the day
- Escort video cameras/reporters on site
- Provide tours as requested
What is required:
- Professionalism and confidentiality when working with both artists and media
- Comfort with technology (i.e. Mac computer, basic Excel, Word and Outlook)
- Extensive festival experience
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Experience working with the media an asset
- Availability: three-four 2-6 hour shifts, all 4 days of the festival
Our Photography Crew volunteers all possess professional photography skills and a good general knowledge of the festival. It is their job to capture memorable moments to be used for promotional use and archival purposes.
What we do:
- Photograph the festival according to required shot list
- Sort and submit photos on time
What is required:
- Professional photography experience
- When applying, include a link to an online portfolio of your work
- Using own personal photography equipment
- Professionalism
- Flexibility
- Availability: schedule varies, based on a pre-assigned shot list and the eye of the photographer (Wednesday through Sunday)
If you have experience shooting live video, this might be the crew for you. The Main Stage Video crew rotates between filming the main stage performances and projecting them on the screens each night.
What we do:
- Operate cameras
- Operate video switcher and direct the camera operators on what camera shots to take
- Switch between live feed and other content as required
What is required:
- Professional experience operating a video camera and switcher
- Good communication skills via headset
- Able to stand for 2 hours
- Availability: eight 2-hour shifts during Main Stage, all 4 days of the festival
The Videography crew is a highly skilled and professional crew that documents the festival in video form. The crew is responsible for filming full workshops, special projects, and general festival footage.
What we do:
- Direct and film footage of the festival according to the required shot list
- Edit and submit videos on time
What is required:
- Professional videography experience
- When applying, include a link to an online portfolio of your work
- Using own personal camera equipment
- Professionalism
- Flexibility
- Availability: schedule varies, based on a pre-assigned shot list and the eye of the videographer (Wednesday through Sunday)
Festival Production
Keep our site clean, our vehicles moving, our volunteers fed, and our festival running smoothly.
This crew spreads the word to “leave only your footprints” in the Festival Campground. Volunteers help to keep the campground clean by interacting with campers and monitoring the waste depots.
What we do:
- Engage with campers to distribute bags and ensure campsites are kept clean
- Monitor waste depots
- Keep washrooms and porta-potties stocked with toilet paper
What is required:
- Able to lift and pull 40 lbs
- Able to stand and/or walk for five hours at a time
- Strong communication skills
- Training: Online Campground Enviro course
- Availability: four 5-hour shifts
This fast-paced crew is given the task of preparing and serving meals and drinks to performers, guests and volunteers backstage, in the largest kitchen in Manitoba!
What we do:
- Kitchen crews (the biggest part of the team): prep, cook and serve food; wash dishes
- Boxed lunch crew (pre/post hours – FULL): prepare meals on Mon/Tues/Wed before the festival and Monday after the festival
- Cold storage crew: accept deliveries from suppliers, organize refrigerator trucks and manage inventory, support kitchen crews (must be able to do heavy lifting)
- Drink crew: prepare hot and cold drinks
- Maître ‘D crew (FULL): manage the food line ensuring it moves efficiently
- Striker crew (pre/post hours – FULL): set up and tear down the kitchen pre and post festival, inventory supplies
- Take-out crew: prepare all take-out meals
- Take-out Expo: pack meals for pick-up and delivery to volunteers during the festival, serve breakfast
What is required:
- Ability to stand for an extended time
- Ability to work in fast-paced environment
- Strong customer service skills
- Volunteers must wear closed-toe shoes, sleeved shirt and a hat on shift
- Food handling experience an asset
- Availability: all 4 days of the festival, most volunteers work four 4-hour shifts
The Production crew assists our production staff by distributing and organizing production supplies before and after the festival.
What we do:
- Accept deliveries
- Pack and unpack supplies into/from storage
- Organize, inventory and distribute production supplies
- Deliver tables, chairs, and other production equipment around site
- Liaise between crews, other production-related crews, and production staff
What is required:
- Organization skills in a fast-paced environment
- Excellent problem-solving skills
- Extensive knowledge of festival site
- Ability to lift 50 pounds
- Training: online safe driving course (online course, provided by the Festival)
- Availability: 30-hour volunteer commitment – crew operates from Saturday pre-festival to Wednesday post-fest
If you have a passion for the environment, this may be the opportunity for you. Our Site Enviro crew promotes environmental awareness and ensures the festival site remains clean.
What we do:
- Educate patrons on proper disposal of waste
- Remove full carts and/or bags of waste from site
- Pick up and properly dispose of trash found throughout the site
- Coordinate plate scraping and return after meals backstage
- Ensure toilet paper is stocked in porta-potties and storage boxes
What is required:
- Strong communication skills
- Ability to lift and pull 40lbs
- Training: Online Site Enviro course
- Ability to walk and/or stand for 4-5 hours
- Availability: all 4 days of the festival, three to four 4-5 hour shifts
The Site Office is the behind-the-scenes communication and production hub for the festival. Volunteers on this crew are typically festival veterans who know the ins and outs of festival operations. Problem-solving is what they do!
What we do:
- Answer phone calls, monitor radio communications and relay messages
- Transport people, equipment and meals on a pre-booked and on-call basis
- Provide supply and equipment support during the festival run
- Monitor the weather and provide regular updates to crews
What is required:
- Extensive knowledge of festival
- Excellent problem-solving skills
- Valid driver’s license
- Training: online safe driving course (online course, provided by the Festival), mandatory on-site driving orientation
- Availability: Wednesday to Sunday, four 4-hour shifts
Directing 15,000 people in cars is an immense task. Our Traffic Crew takes great pride in being able to direct vehicles with skill, friendliness and efficiency. *Note: volunteers on this crew can purchase a Festival Camping pass at half price!
What we do:
- Direct vehicles to appropriate parking areas, drop off zones, etc.
- Control flow of traffic for smooth egress from the parking lots
- Manage pedestrian crosswalk between the site and the festival campground
What is required:
- Assertive with strong communication skills
- Able to stand and/or walk for seven hours at a time
- Must be 18 years or older
- Mandatory training: Traffic Control Safety (online course provided by the Festival, recertification every 3 years)
- Availability: three 6-hour shifts between Wednesday-Sunday
Finance Support
These crews keep the sales areas of the Festival running with skill.
Ever seen folks walking the Festival site wearing bright green shirts, waving their arms and yelling “50/50!”? Aside from selling 50/50 tickets and collecting money, these crew members must have a commitment to fundraising for the Festival.
What we do:
- Sell required of allotment of 50/50 tickets
- Account for tickets sold and cash collected
- Be a resource in the field to attendees who may ask Festival questions
- Promote the 50/50 and the Winnipeg Folk Festival’s charitable status
What is required:
- Strong customer service skills and outgoing personality
- comfort using a hand-held point of sale device
- Must be 18 years or older
- Ability to stand and walk for 5 hours
Availability: 4 shifts (one x 3 hours, three x 5 hours), all 4 days of the festival
Do you know your way around a calculator? Do you have extensive cash handling experience? Then this might be the crew for you!
What we do:
- Prepare and verify floats and deposits
- Support other crews handling cash
What is required:
- Strong attention to detail
- Extensive cash handling experience (bookkeeping experience an asset)
- A criminal record check may be required (provided by the Festival)
- Availability: four 4-5 hour shifts, all four days of the festival
This is a very small crew dedicated to supporting our Finance team. Due to the specialized needs of this crew, it is unlikely that first-time volunteers will be chosen.
What we do:
- Volunteer training
- Cash management
- Monitoring/auditing finance crew reconciliations
What is required:
- Strong attention to detail
- Extensive festival experience
- Extensive cash handling experience (bookkeeping experience an asset)
- A criminal record check may be required (provided by the Festival)
- Availability: 16-20 hours during the festival (shifts and hours vary)
*Note: this crew does NOT qualify for complimentary camping
These volunteers are the first smiling faces to welcome campers on Wednesday and to trade your ticket for the wristband that will give you access to the campground and festival all weekend.
What we do:
- Bankers: prepare floats of cash and wristbands; prepare deposits
- Cashiers: sell tickets and provide appropriate wristbands; account for all tickets sold, cash collected, and wristbands used
- Wrist-banders: scan all tickets and provide appropriate wristband; account for all wristbands used
What is required:
- Strong customer service skills
- Cash handling experience and comfort working with cash
- Comfort using technology (scanners, tablets, computers, POS systems)
- Availability: most volunteers work the campground load-in on Wednesday (usually an 8-hour shift), as well as two additional 4-hour shifts, Thursday and Friday (some shifts maybe Saturday or Sunday at the Main Gate Box Office)
The Festival Merch store is your one-stop-shop for artist merchandise and music as well as Festival branded merchandise. Your job is to sell, sell, sell – all while supporting the artists who bring their goods for sale.
What we do:
- Cashiers: sell merch using point of sale (POS) system
- Greeters: personal shopper paired with a cashier to fulfill orders
- Inventory: Folding shirts and keeping the merch tent organized
- Admin: prepare floats and deposits, assist cashiers with reconciliations
- Artist Reps: receive merch from artists backstage and enter inventory into POS
What is required:
- Excellent customer service skills
- Comfortable with data entry and/or handling cash
- Comfortable in a fast-paced environment
- Availability: 4 shifts, 3-5 hours each
- Training: online role-related course(s)
These volunteers are the first smiling faces to welcome folk to the festival by exchanging tickets for wristbands, and solving related problems like, “I lost my tickets! What do I do?!”
What we do:
- Bankers: prepare floats of cash and wristbands; prepare deposits
- Wristbanders: scan all tickets and provide appropriate wristband; account for all wristbands used
What is required:
- Strong customer service skills
- Cash handling experience and comfort working with cash
- Comfortable in a fast-paced environment
- Comfort using technology (scanners, tablets, computers, POS systems)
- Availability: three or four shifts, 4-5 hours, Thursday through Sunday
The Quiet Campground is a unique community within the festival, and this box office crew ensures that our quiet campers are well taken care of. We’re looking for folks who can be positive festival ambassadors and good problem solvers in this more remote setting.
What we do:
- Scan all tickets and provide appropriate wristband
- Account for all wristbands used
- Monitor gate access, ensuring all campers have the appropriate wristbands
What is required:
- Strong customer service skills
- Strong organizational skills
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Crew meeting includes Traffic Control Safety training in order to work around vehicles
- Availability: three 6-hour shifts, Wednesday through Sunday
The Tavern crew facilitates liquor sale and service on-site through our three taverns (Main Tavern, Satellite Tavern, and the Backstage Tavern).
What we do:
- Bartenders: Serve alcohol in compliance with the Manitoba Liquor Control Act and Smart Choices certification
- Inventory: Keep taverns stocked with kegs, cans, cups and ice
- Set-up (FULL): set up and strike all tavern areas
What is required:
- Bartending/serving experience and Smart Choices certification is an asset
- Strong customer service
- Comfortable in a fast-paced environment
- Must be 18 years or older
- Be able to lift 100 lbs. (Inventory crew only)
- Training: Smart Choices (provided by the Festival if not already held)
- Training: online role-related course(s)
- Availability: four 3-5 hour shifts, all four days of the festival
Do you know your way around a calculator? Do you have extensive cash handling experience, AND enjoy a fast-paced environment like our Tavern? If you said yes to all these questions, consider our Tavern Admin crew!
What we do:
- Bankers & Admin: prepare floats and deposits; support ticket sellers
- Ticket Sellers: sell drink tickets in compliance with the Manitoba Liquor Control Act and Smart Choices certification; account for cash collected and tickets sold
What is required:
- Strong customer service skills
- Cash handling experience and comfort working with cash
- Comfortable in a fast-paced environment
- Comfort using technology (computers, POS systems)
- Must be 18 years or older
- Smart Choices online certification is an asset
- Training: online role-related course(s)
- Available for four 3-5 hour shifts, all four days of the festival
Performer Services
Help our artists, both behind the scenes and on the stage.
This is a very small crew dedicated to supporting our Artistic team. Due to the professionalized duties of this crew, it is unlikely that first-time volunteers will be chosen.
What we do:
- Welcome performers and log arrivals on site
- Serve as liaison between performers, Artistic staff, and other performer services crews
- Provide information and answer any questions
What is required:
- Extensive knowledge of the festival
- Experience in artist management and/or festival production an asset
- Professionalism and decorum when working with artists
- Strong organizational ability and attention to detail
- Availability: all 4 days of the festival
The Backstage Lockup crew secures the storage of performers’ instruments and personal items backstage.
What we do:
- Receive and store instruments and personal items at the festival site
- Ensure all items are recorded and tagged correctly
- Assist cargo/transportation crews with loading and unloading of artist equipment
- Ensure security of items in storage
What is required:
- Professionalism and decorum when working with artists
- Strong organizational ability and attention to detail
- Physical strength and stamina
- Availability: all 4 days of the festival. 4 shifts, 4 hours each.
The Cargo crew works out of the festival hotel. They accept and tag artists’ instruments and equipment upon arrival, transport gear to and from the site with cargo vehicles, and staff the hotel lockup area. It is difficult to fulfill the duties of this crew if you are camping at the festival.
What we do:
- Receive and store instruments and performer gear at the hotel
- Ensure all items are recorded and tagged correctly
- Ensure 24-hour security of items in storage
- Load and unload equipment into cargo/transportation vehicles
- Transport equipment from hotel to site and back
What is required:
- Valid driver’s license (class 4 an asset)
- Professionalism and decorum when working with artists
- Strong organizational ability and attention to detail
- Physical strength and stamina
- Crew members must be at least 21 years of age
- Training: online safe driving course (online course, provided by the Festival)
- Availability: volunteers work two 8-hour shifts between Thursday and Monday post-fest. Volunteers working hotel lockup may be requested to work an overnight shift.
The Daytime Stages crew provides the technical support to set up artists on all of our 9 daytime stages. The commitment made by these volunteers is above average in terms of time, but the experience is worth it!
What we do:
- Provide support to artists
- Prepare stage and backstage area for each performance (backline setup, patching, assisting artists with their gear)
- Daily set up and teardown of stages
What is required:
- Basic knowledge of stage and sound equipment
- Professionalism and decorum when working with artists
- Strong organizational ability and attention to detail
- Physical strength and stamina
- Training: online role-related course
- Availability: Stage set up on Wednesday evening, pre-festival; Friday through Sunday, approx. 9 hours daily
The Green Room crew provides onsite hospitality for the Green Room, Blue Room, and Artist Lounge areas.
What we do:
- Maintain a welcoming, relaxing space for performers
- Provide food & beverage service
- Provide other hospitality items to performers
- Clean and maintain artist trailers and general space
- Assist with performer needs
What is required:
- Professionalism and decorum when working with artists
- Attention to detail
- Extensive festival experience
- Bartending skills are an asset
- Second language other than English is an asset
- Availability: all 4 days of the festival, volunteers work 3-5 shifts of 3-8 hours
The Hotel Hospitality crew works out of the festival hotel, assisting all performers and guests of the festival in the city by providing both information and hospitality.
What we do:
- Welcome performers and guests and assist with festival registration
- Maintain refreshments for performer hospitality area
- Provide information and answer questions
What is required:
- Professionalism and decorum when working with artists
- Strong customer service skills
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Extensive festival experience
- Second language other than English is an asset
- Availability: two 8-hour shifts or four 4-hour shifts; crew operates from Wednesday pre-festival to Monday post-fest.
The Main Stage crew is responsible for setting up and striking all sound equipment for the Main Stage performances and sound checks. The commitment made by these volunteers is above average in terms of time, but the experience is worth it!
What we do:
- Main stage changeover team: load and unload gear, coil cables, move risers, assist touring crews
- Tweener aid: assist with tweener performance set up and strike
- Backline aid: drum setup, load and unload backline.
- Patch aid: assist with patching of mics, DI’s and monitors
What is required:
- Intermediate knowledge of stage/sound equipment and instruments
- Professionalism and decorum when working with artists
- Physical strength and stamina
- Ability to work as a team under pressure
- Availability: volunteers work 2 out of 4 days, up to 12 hours per shift (daytime sound checks scheduled as requested by performers)
Our Schlepper Crew is responsible for transporting instruments, supplies and passengers on the site with utility vehicles, trucks and vans.
What we do:
- Shuttle performers, instruments, performer supplies and stage equipment
What is required:
- Valid driver’s licence and confidence operating large vehicles
- Professionalism and decorum when working with artists
- Strong problem-solving skills & the ability to work under pressure
- Training: online safe driving course (online course, provided by the Festival), mandatory on-site driving orientation
- Availability: 4 shifts are required; Thursday to Sunday
The Technical Services crew ensures performers have the gear they need for each show, and keeps our stages running smoothly.
What we do:
- Maintain, move and track backline inventory during the festival
- Provide technical support for performers, audio engineers and stage crews
- Troubleshoot instruments and sound equipment as needed
- Support daytime stages load in and load out
- Assist with daytime stage strike and weatherproofing at end of each day
What is required:
- Basic knowledge of stage and sound equipment
- Professionalism and decorum when working with artists
- Organized and calm under pressure
- Physical strength and endurance
- Training: online role-related course
- Availability: Wednesday evening pre-festival, Friday through Sunday – 5 shifts, approximately 20 hours total
Provides Transportation for performers to and from the airport and between the hotel and the festival site. It is difficult to fulfill the duties of this crew if you are camping at the festival.
What we do:
- Greet arriving performers and guests at the airport and assist with luggage
- Transport performers to and from the airport for arrivals and departures
- Transport main stage performers to and from the festival site
- Supervise and direct morning bus pickups at the hotel
What is required:
- Valid driver’s licence (Full level 5 or level 4 an asset) and confidence operating a vehicle
- Professionalism and decorum when working with artists
- Excellent problem-solving skills and flexibility
- Physical strength and endurance
- Crew members must be at least 21 years of age
- Training: online safe driving course (online course, provided by the Festival)
- Availability: Crew operates Wednesday pre-festival to Monday post-fest. Most shifts 6-8 hours, 3-4 shifts required (some flexibility is required due to unforeseen travel issues)
Program Support
These crews help support the special programs of the Festival.
Are you at least 13 years old as of January first, under 18 years old at the time of the Festival, and looking for a way to get involved with Folk Fest? This is the crew for you! The Apprentice Crew is a training program that offers an opportunity for youth to become familiar with the festival through placement with a variety of crews. There’s no better way to get to know the festival than through the eyes of a volunteer.
What we do:
- Participate in three different crews during the course of the festival
- Learn the operation of the festival from experienced volunteers on each crew
- Contribute to making the festival a success!
- Upon graduation as an apprentice (i.e. age 18), choose a crew to join based on your experiences and preferences
What is required:
- Enthusiasm and a positive attitude
- Flexibility
- Self-motivation, including the ability to communicate directly with coordinators, fellow volunteers, and festival guests
- Return a signed agreement (provided by the WFF) between the apprentice volunteer, their parent and/or guardian, and the WFF
- Training: a crew meeting in early June, pass and schedule pick-up in late June/early July, and an on-site orientation on the Thursday of the festival
- Availability: three shifts, Thursday-Sunday between 8am-10pm
The volunteers in our Family Area facilitate games and crafts for our younger festival participants. It is the job of this crew to ensure that everyone in the Family Area has a safe and enjoyable experience.
What we do:
- Facilitate all family area activities: crafts, face-painting, origami, field games, reading tent, etc.
- Maintain tidy activity spaces and manage inventory of supplies
- Daily set up and tear down
What is required:
- Experience working with children
- Creativity, energy and patience!
- Child Abuse Registry Check (provided by the festival at no charge)
- Availability: two 8-hour shifts, Friday through Sunday
The Festival’s Guest for a Day program hosts community groups at the site and provides guided tours, meals, transportation and the support needed to ensure a positive festival experience. GFAD volunteers need considerable knowledge of the festival, good leadership skills and a desire to give something back to the community.
What we do:
- Provide an orientation to community groups prior to the Festival
- Offer guided tours of the Festival grounds as community groups arrive on site
- Be available to community groups as needed, and be supportive of any needs participants might have
What is required:
- Strong customer service skills
- Extensive festival experience
- Building a knowledge of the community groups you’re paired with
- Disability awareness
- Availability: 2 shifts (Friday and Sunday of the Festival) for 6-8 hours (varies depending on community group needs)
The Hand-Made Village Crew assists artisans with hospitality, set up and tear down, overnight storage, and providing coverage at booths when artisans need to step away. This is a very small crew with little turnover.
What we do:
- Hospitality: serve beverages and snacks to artisans in their booths, provide relief and assistance to artisans if requested
- Movers: assist artisans with set up, tear down, and overnight storage as needed
What is required:
- Strong customer service skills
- Ability to stand or walk for long periods of time
- Ability to lift up to 40 lbs (movers)
- Availability: all 4 days of the festival, shift number and length varies
Members of the VIP Crew support the specific initiatives and events that the development department undertakes for the organization.
What we do – support events that include but are not limited to:
- The Festival Lineup Launch
- The VIP Opening Night Reception
- Special donor events
- Sponsorship activations
What is required:
- Commitment to fundraising for the Winnipeg Folk Festival
- Strong customer service skills and outgoing personality
- Event planning experience and strong organizational skills
- Extensive festival experience
- Professionalism
- Physical stamina for event set-up and tear-down
- Availability: three-five 5-8 hour shifts, Thursday through Sunday (and potentially year-round if required)
This crew provides support and hospitality to the participants and the instructors of the Young Performers Program. YPP runs over three days, both in the city and at the Festival site.
What we do:
- Set up, maintain, and tear down all program spaces
- Prepare and serve beverages and snacks
- Oversee participant registration
- Assist participants and performers as needed
What is required:
- Professionalism and decorum when working with artists
- Strong customer service skills
- Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently
- Experience working with youth
- Valid Driver’s license (access to a vehicle an asset)
- Availability: daytimes Wednesday and Thursday in the city, Friday at the Festival
Wellness
Support our Festival community by keeping our patrons safe, healthy and happy.
This crew provides standard first aid services to our patrons in both the Festival Campground and the Festival Site. This allows patrons with minor injuries to remain at the festival.
What we do:
- Provide first aid services at a Standard First Aid and CPR level C
- Act as first responders until EMS arrives in more serious situations
- Collaborate with Safety and Community Wellness as needed
What is required:
- Currently licensed medical practitioner (physician, nurse, paramedic, paramedical practitioner), OR Standard First Aid and CPR-C (HCP CPR preferred)
- Strong customer service skills
- Training: online course on scope of practice
- Availability: A rotation in either the Festival Campground (three 8-hour shifts) or on the Festival Site (four 6-hour shifts)
Volunteers working inside the campground will be given a complimentary camping pass for the campground in which they are working.
This team of dedicated volunteers provides high-quality support to both the festival community and our Safety crews, responding to incidents that require a higher level of training, all in a folkie manner. All members are licensed Security Guards and graduates of the Festival’s internal Festival Security Program. Training program starts in Fall annually, contact protection@winnipegfolkfestival.ca if you are interested in joining this crew.
What we do:
- Access Control (Festival Site and Festival Campground)
- General Patrol (Festival Site and Festival Campground)
- Stage Protection
- Identify and resolve any incidents
- Lead, assist and support Safety volunteers as required
What is required:
- The WFF Festival Security Program is an enhanced version of the Manitoba Security Guard Training course that prepares volunteers for security duties at special events such as ours.
- Skills needed: customer service, problem-solving, ability to remain calm and deal with tense situations, ability to work overnight and walk for 5 hours
- Must be 18 years or older
- Availability: Wednesday through Sunday, 18-20 hours (shifts vary)
This is one of our largest crews that monitors the festival site and backstage areas, encouraging all to follow our Participant Responsibilities. You are an ambassador for the festival, so think public relations in everything you do!
What we do:
- Internal Access teams: check accreditation at backstage and green room entries
- Public Access teams: check accreditation at audience entries
- Vehicle Access teams: ensure safe passage, access and parking in restricted areas
- Support teams: radio operator, record keeping, information
- Steward teams: identify and resolve incidents while walking festival grounds
What is required:
- Strong customer service skills
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Ability to stand and/or walk for 5 hours
- Must be 18 years or older
- Mandatory training: online role-related training
- Availability: most teams work four 5-hour shifts, all four days of the festival
Year-Round
These crews help out throughout the year with concerts, office tasks, marketing and MORE.
The Archives crew is responsible for managing, digitizing, organizing, and cataloguing archive items of the Winnipeg Folk Festival.
What we do:
- Catalogue and index archive items
- Input information into databases
- Develop and maintain digital resources, such as scanning, sorting and formatting
- Assist staff with archive search requests
What is required:
- Proficient with computers, MS Office applications, and scanners
- Experience handling negatives and photographs an asset
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
- Ability to work independently with little to no supervision
Availability: the crew works on a rotating, weekly basis between September and April (schedule TBD)
All our year-round volunteers work a minimum of 40 hours to earn their festival pass. These positions have low turnover and we typically recruit internally for volunteers who have already put in some significant time volunteering at the festival itself.
These folks provide hospitality and catering services to performers at all our year-round concerts. This small crew works very independently and is made up of long-time volunteers working in pairs.
What we do:
- Shop for and prepare food, drinks, alcohol and other rider items
- Set up/clean-up dressing room rider items at the venue
- Be available for any performer needs before, during and after the show
What is required:
- Professionalism and decorum when working with artists
- Strong customer service skills
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Strong organizational skills and ability to work within a budget
- Use of own vehicle is required
- Availability: evenings/weekends/late hours throughout the year at various event locations in the city of Winnipeg. Each volunteer works 8 shows
All our year-round volunteers work a minimum of 40 hours to earn their festival pass. These positions have low turnover and we typically recruit internally for volunteers who have already put in some significant time volunteering at the festival itself.
Be the face of the festival at all year-round events – provide frontline services at our concerts and any other special events that arise!
What we do:
- Sell tickets at the box office
- Take tickets at the door
- Sell artist merchandise
- Market festival events
What is required:
- Strong festival ambassadors who can work independently
- Strong customer service skills
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Strong cash-handling skills, including comfort using digital POS systems
- Ability to stand for 4-5 hours
- Availability: a minimum of 10 events at various locations in the city of Winnipeg, usually late evenings and/or weekends.
All our year-round volunteers work a minimum of 40 hours to earn their festival pass. These positions have low turnover and we typically recruit internally for volunteers who have already put in some significant time volunteering at the festival itself.
This crew operates in the lead-up to the Festival to support the administrative work of the festival office.
What we do:
- Assist patrons both in person and over the phone
- Data entry and clean up
- Administrative tasks as assigned (filing, photocopying, labelling, laminating, etc.)
- Organization of festival supplies
- Assist with T-shirt and pass distribution
What is required:
- Excellent customer service skills
- Extensive festival experience
- Proficient with computers and MS Office applications
- Strong organizational skills
- Professionalism and confidentiality
All our year-round volunteers work a minimum of 40 hours to earn their festival pass. These positions have low turnover and we typically recruit internally for volunteers who have already put in some significant time volunteering at the festival itself.
These folks take care of our trees to ensure the health and longevity of our forests and the safety of our festivalgoers.
What we do:
- Arborists: identify trees that need to be pruned/felled, remove ropes left behind by campers, work with a partner labourer
- Labourer: haul pruned branches into piles for removal, assist arborist in pruning
- Planting and watering new trees
What is required:
- Manitoba Arborist Certification (arborists) OR landscaping experience (labourers)
- Physical stamina, ability to lift and carry large loads
- Must use personal protective equipment while working and follow safe work procedures
- Availability: two set weekends per year in the fall and spring, and watering shifts as needed
All our year-round volunteers work a minimum of 40 hours to earn their festival pass. These positions have low turnover and we typically recruit internally for volunteers who have already put in some significant time volunteering at the festival itself.
Do you need more information or support filling out the application?
Contact the Festival office by phone (204) 231-0096 or by email at volunteer@winnipegfolkfestival.ca.