By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Last year festivalgoers were primed for the Black Swamp Arts Festival’s return.
They turned out in force for the festival, and that included answering the call to volunteer.
One year later the anticipatory buzz may have faded a bit but Emily Keegan, who co-chairs the volunteer committee with Anne McLaughlin, is confident people will come through yet again to pour beer, give artists a break, make crafts with kids, sell t-shirts, glasses and other merchandise, and all the other jobs needed to make the annual festival a success.
“The Black Swamp Arts Festival is a treasure, and it’s all volunteer run. It only happens because BG makes it happen. It only happens because people come out and volunteer.”
This year’s festival will be Sept. 9 through Sept. 11 in downtown Bowling Green.
“Last year we came roaring back from a year of not having it and everyone pitched in and made it awesome, and I’m sure we’ll do that again this year,” Keegan said.
She and McLaughlin assumed leadership of the volunteer committee last year, and one of the things they learned was people have a tendency to sign up at the last minute.
But they also saw first-hand that “people are really generous with their time” and often work more than one shift.
These shifts, she noted, are just two-three hours.
Volunteering at the festival is fun, she said. “You’re listening to music, seeing friends. It is enjoyable for sure. You get to experience it as well no matter where you are. You don’t have to give up that time to volunteer, you’re in the middle of it.”
Last year the committee created a new floater option “for folks who want to participate and don’t care where they are.” Those volunteers show up for their shifts and then are dispatched to whatever area is in need of help.
That flexibility is beneficial for the festival, Keegan said.
One area the festival that won’t need volunteers this year is in the trash and recycling area. Students from the President’s Leadership Academy and from the Office of Campus Sustainability have taking on those jobs.
Still there’s plenty of other opportunities – about 700 slots are listed on the volunteer page. Click here to view. As of today (Aug. 14), about 40 percent of the slots are filled.
Serving beverages in the beer garden tends to be the most popular job. “It’s fast paced and fun and people are happy to be getting beer from you,” Keegan said.
Volunteering in the kids zone is lagging a bit, she said. That’s a good place for teens who want to volunteer.
And all 39 floater slots are still open.
