Volunteer

Volunteers are the heart & soul of this operation. We need over 500 volunteers for SoulFest to run smoothly. Serve in the areas of security, selling merch, hospitality, cleaning, and more, so servant-hearted believers apply!

Pre-register to volunteer for SoulFest 2012!

Benefits of Volunteering

Full Time

• Minimum of 4 days
• Two 4.5 hour shifts per day

You get:

• FREE Admission
• FREE Camping in Volunteer section
• One Meal per day

Part Time

• Minimum of 4 days
• One 4.5 hour shift per day

You get:

• 50% off festival admission ($70)

View position descriptions →

Volunteering FAQs

How old do you need to be to volunteer?
Full time volunteers must be 16 years old by the start of the festival. Volunteers who are 14 and 15 may volunteer part time only. Unfortunately, we cannot accept any volunteers under the age of 14. Volunteers under 18 will need a signed release of liability form. Click here to download PDF format.

What is volunteer camping like?
Volunteer camping (full time only) is a community where volunteers camp together in a field. These are not individual campsites. Volunteers are asked to bring a reasonable sized tent and asked to set up close together to conserve space. This creates a fun atmosphere and a chance to bond with your fellow volunteers, but do come prepared to be in close proximity to others. There is no electricity or water hookups, and RVs are not allowed.

What are volunteer meals like? (full time only)
Full time volunteers receive one meal a day, typically served mid-day. This will be a good sized hot meal, such as a casserole with salad and bread. Volunteers are on their own for their other two meals each day, so please plan accordingly to bring a cooler of food, or money to purchase meals from vendors within the festival.

What types of positions are available?
We have volunteer positions in a wide variety of departments, such as selling t-shirts or other merchandise in the Retail department, manning security gates as part of the Peace Patrol, working as part of the parking, hospitality or volunteer services teams, or preparing food in the kitchen as part of the Kitchen Crew. See below.

What if I can’t volunteer for all four days?
Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate volunteers who cannot work all four days of the festival. Volunteer registration is typically open right up until the week of the festival, so if your situation changes, please come back and fill out an application then. If you are available for the four consecutive days just before or after the festival, contact us about Setup and Teardown opportunities.

Can I select which hours I work each day? When do we find out our schedules?
While we would love to accommodate everyone’s schedules, unfortunately with 500-600 volunteers, custom schedules are not possible. When you sign up to volunteer, you are agreeing to work whichever shifts you are scheduled for during each day of the festival. We do our best to make things fair and to distribute shifts evenly, so most departments operate on a system where volunteers work two day shifts and two evening shifts. However, it is possible that you will be scheduled for four evening shifts, particularly if working in a department that has greater evening responsibilities, such as Stage Crew. Since our needs often change last minute, schedules cannot be finalized until just before the festival. For this reason, we cannot provide you with your schedule until you arrive on site at the festival and meet your team manager.

Is there any training for volunteers before the festival begins?
Yes! There is a volunteer orientation for all volunteers on Tuesday, July 31. All volunteers are asked to arrive in time to attend this meeting if at all possible, as it is where you will meet your team leaders and receive training for your position. Most volunteers plan on arriving on Tuesday afternoon or early evening, and staying until Sunday morning before packing up and heading home, as the festival doesn’t wrap up until late evening on Saturday.

What is the application process like?
The application involves basic personal information and then a handful of short questions about your skills and interests. It shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes to complete. Please answer all of the questions in the application, as incomplete applications slow down the review process while we contact you for the missing information. The skill and interest questions are especially important in helping us match you with the right position, so please take the time to answer each of these.

When will I hear back about my application, and what kind of communication can I expect?
You can expect to hear back about your application within two weeks of filling it out. If it has been longer than two weeks and you have not heard anything, please e-mail volunteer@thesoulfest.com. You will initially receive an e-mail from the volunteer coordinator letting you know that your application has been received, and when to expect an answer as to your acceptance. In some cases you will not be assigned to a specific position right away, as we wait to see what our specific needs will be. After receiving your acceptance and your position assignment, you may not hear from our volunteer coordinator again until the month before the festival when the Volunteer Handbook will be sent out.

Are there any opportunities to volunteer other than during the four days of the festival?
Yes! We have both a Setup and a Teardown crew, as well as year round volunteer opportunities. Want to be a part of the crew that sets up the festival grounds and builds the stages? Setup is a limited crew, so please email volunteer@thesoulfest.com soon. Please be aware that all of our setup positions involve physical labor and the ability to lift 50 to 75 pounds.

Teardown is a great need of ours each year. Teardown volunteers begin work on Saturday night after the last concert, and work until the festival is completely taken down, which is typically on Tuesday. This is a great option for a group who wants to enjoy some of the festival and then serve together doing teardown afterward. Please email to find out more.

Additionally, we can always use the help of volunteers during the year for things like filing, stuffing envelopes, and other assorted office tasks at our office in Merrimac, MA. If you are from the area and are able to help us out in this way, we would love to hear from you! Email info@thesoulfest.com.

Who do I contact if I have questions about volunteering that aren’t answered here?
Email volunteer@thesoulfest.com. Our volunteer coordinator does not work out of the SoulFest office to receive phone calls, but office staff can always assist you if you have a need that cannot be addressed via e-mail.

I applied to volunteer but need to withdraw my application. What do I do?
Email volunteer@thesoulfest.com. You don’t need to give a reason if you are uncomfortable doing so, and a message isn’t even necessary, just a simple “no longer available” will do. It is very important to our planning that we have accurate numbers of our volunteers, so please do let us know if you can no longer serve with us.

Position Descriptions

	POSITION DESCRIPTION	SPECIAL SKILLS	HELPFUL GIFTS
Box Office	Sell tickets to guests as they arrive at the festival. Distribute pre-purchased tickets at Will-Call. Greet customers and check wristbands at the gate.	Cashier experience, retail experience, comfortable with computers/technology	Honest, Comfortable working with money, able to accurately record payment information electronically, comfortable with crowds/lines
Finance & Banking	Enter and record all receipts and disbursements of cash. Count, verify and set up for depositing cash that arrive from various departments at the festival. Work cash registers as cashier.	Accounting background, computer and reporting skills, cashier or banking experience. Must be comfortable with money.	Honest, accurate and detail oriented, able to work alone or with others for long hours.
Food Service	Assist the catering crew in setting up, preparing, serving and cleaning up meals. Wash dishes and clean up the kitchen and catering areas each evening. Great place for those who love to cook and to serve others, as well as those who enjoy cleaning.	Cooking, preparing food, cleaning, serving, and washing dishes; restaurant experience, cafeteria experience a plus, Safe Food knowledge.	A love of cooking, A love to serve, Clean and organized work habits, Enjoys multi-tasking. Able to work at a fast pace.
Grounds Crew	During the festival, the grounds crew works closely with Peace Patrol and Safety Services to insure smooth operation of the festival and the safety of all. Keep the site clean by removing trash and cleaning the grounds.	Construction, carpentry, electrician, plumbing, landscaping, housekeeping, trash removal	Good team player, love to work hands on, enjoy seeing things take shape, Enjoy working with your hands in a creative way.
Grounds Setup	Setup the festival from the ground up. Clean grounds, set up tables and chairs, dig trenches, install fencing, wire electrical, mark out lines for tents and parking spaces, etc. Long days with lots of physical labor, but great bonding opportunities with your team.	Construction, carpentry, electrician, plumbing, landscaping, stage set up experience, Tent set up or event set up experience.	Good team player, love to work hands on, enjoy seeing things take shape, Enjoy working with your hands in a creative way. Enjoys physical labor.
Hospitality	Greet and shadow VIP guests to insure they take advantage of all services offered to them. Work at Info booth providing information and services to guests. Welcome guests at the gate as they arrive and thank them as they leave. Usher people at the stages. Help escort guests at the handicap gate.	Hostess, waitperson, retail customer service, customer service representative, customer service skills	Gift of service or hospitality, willingness to please and cater to others, ability to clearly explain details and answer questions, outgoing personality, positive and exciteable attitude, ability to motivate and entertain guests.
Media	Coordinate with the media all happenings on site at the festival, staff media tent, handle press releases and interviews. Assist Video Crew by being a video camera operator.	Photography, Videography, Camera Operation, Public Relations experience	Photography, Videography, Journalism, public relations
Parking	Organize parking both inside and outside of festival. Oversee parking of vehicles, buses, and trailers. Check passes and collect parking fees from guests. Direct vehicles in main parking lot.	Cashier experience, prior parking management experience	Able to be on feet for long periods and in hot sun, ability to give clear directions, able to wave drivers(including buses/trailers) into tight parking spots
Peace Patrol	Serve as a gate attendant at one of the many gates around the festival, checking wristbands and laminates to ensure only those with proper credentials enter. Check wristbands at the festival entrance. Supervise crowds to ensure the safety of all guests.	Security guard, police officer, patrolman, gate attendant	Honest, observant, able to enforce rules firmly but lovingly. Able to be on feet for long periods and out in hot sun.
Retail	Sell Artist and Soulfest merchandise, as well as food, during the festival.	Setting up and mantaining displays, retail experience, cashier experience, customer service experience.	Works good with others and public, accurate, detail oriented, friendly personality. Ability to stand.
Runners	Run errands such as shopping, banking, food runs, etc for the festival. Must have own vehicle.	Good driving record, familiar with shopping for goods listed. Knowledge of local area a plus.	Comfortable driving. Like change of scenery and like shopping and running errands for others.
Shipping & Receiving	Track shipping and receiving of merchandise during the festival. Make sure inventory is delivered to and picked up from proper locations at the festival.	Inventory control, merchandise management	Accurate, detail oriented, ability to lift up to 50 pounds, physically fit and able to quickly transport merchandise across grounds as needs arise.
Stage Crew	During festival load and unload band equipment as well as move equipment on and off the stage as required by each artist.	Production experience, stage experience, knowledge of lighting, sound and video.	Team player, fast worker, ability to lift up to 75 pounds. Enjoy physical labor.
Stage Setup	Assist professional crew in Laying out, unloading and erecting 5 stages on site.	Stage set up experience, professional climbers with 5 point harness	Enjoy building or construction. Must be able to lift up to 75 pounds and be comfortable with long days of physical labor.
Trash & Recycling	Help keep Soulfest clean for the patrons by picking up trash, changing can liners, and transporting trash to dumpsters for pickup.	trash removal	Physically fit, able to lift and bend and pick up heavy objects. Truck helpful if you have one to use.
Volunteer Services	Register, welcome and sign-in volunteers daily at the volunteer tent. Insure volunteers report to their positions. Monitor all volunteer activities and promote safety and efficiency of all volunteer staff.	Volunteer coordination at special events, employee management, human resource experience, event management. College orientation leaders or student leadership roles.	Good follow through, welcoming, caring, motivational skills, able to be firm but loving in enforcing rules

Please Note

If you are under the age of 18, you will need a signed release of liability form. Please bring this form with you to the festival. Click here to download PDF format. If you are under the age of 16 (and older than 13), you will be required to be under the supervision of a parent/legal guardian during your entire time at the Soul Festival and may only work one shift per day (part-time). SoulFest reserves the right to reject any application.

Click here to download a copy of the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997. SoulFest reserves the right to require CORI checks.