The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts is set to return for its 56th year next week, but organizers could still use some helping hands.
“We’re a little short this year,” Rick Bryant, the festival’s executive director, said in a statement. “I’m not sure if it’s because we haven’t had an in-person festival in two years, or we’re part of the post-Covid ‘where did everyone gone phenomenon?’”
All volunteers will receive a volunteer T-shirt and a bottle of water, and are eligible to park for free in the West Parking Deck on Penn State’s campus.
Volunteers are needed in several roles:
- Sidewalk sale ambassadors “are the link between the festival organization and the 300 exhibiting artists,” Bryant said. They provide assistance to the artists such as booth-sitting while artists take a break and answering basic questions about the festival and the local area. Ambassador shifts are two to three hours long and require a significant amount of walking, so an average degree of physical fitness is required. Ambassadors should have proficiency in English and be at least 18 years old.
- Wristband checkers work at our indoor performance sites, checking that patrons are wearing an admission wristband and selling them to audience members who need one. Shifts start in the early evening and are about an hour long. All performance venues are air conditioned.
- Green Crew members help keep the festival area clean and empty trash, recycling and compost receptacles. It’s an ideal activity for groups such as civic clubs, church groups or sports teams. “It’s an outstanding team building activity and great fun” Bryant said. “I’ve done it with a group of friends for years and we have a great time.”
The position requires a significant amount of walking and some lifting. Green crew members must wear sneakers or work shoes/boots. The festival provides gloves and an official Green Crew T-shirt.
To volunteer, sign up at arts-festival.com/volunteer or email the festival office at office@arts-festival.com.
After going virtual for the past two years because of COVID-19, Arts Fest kicks off on Wednesday, July 13, with Children and Youth Day. continues through Sunday, July 17, with the Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition and a full schedule of entertainment in Downtown State College and on the University Park campus.
