2024 Volunteer Introduction Letter

Dear Volunteer Friend of the New World Festival -

Chandler’s 2024 New World Festival in Randolph will celebrate 31 years on Labor Day weekend, and volunteers who sign up early have the best chance to get the job you desire. The festival’s success and longevity over three decades is due in large part to its enthusiastic crew of new and returning volunteers.

The festival will be held on Sunday, September 1st, 2024 from noon to 11 PM. The artistic directors have put together an exciting schedule of Celtic-Franco-American music on 6 stages, including a Family Tent with various children’s activities. The entire festival takes place at the Chandler end of Main Street in Randolph, VT, with the street closed to traffic.

We need over a hundred (100+) volunteers to make this festival a success. About three hours of volunteering gets you a full-day pass to the entire festival, including workshops and sing-alongs! Please note that volunteers are expected to be at their assigned positions throughout the assigned period, performing assigned tasks.

New this year - I would like to introduce myself, Drew Terry, as the new Volunteer Coordinator for the Festival. I am assuming the position previously held by Ramsey Papp for many years, and I would like to thank Ramsey for her years of dedication and hard work on the Festival. Ramsey will still be volunteering and attending the Festival, and will be there to help me if needed. Thank you, Ramsey! I have big shoes to fill, and pledge to do my best to keep things running smoothly.

A list of volunteer jobs available at the 2024 festival is shown below. Please note there may be some changes to job descriptions, as well as new jobs for this year, and old jobs deleted.

Please review the job choices for your volunteer application. The job list is also posted on our new blog for New World volunteers, https://newworldvolunteer.blogspot.com. The blog will have a current schedule of all filled and open volunteer positions, and other updates for volunteers as we get closer to the Festival. 

To volunteer, please complete the registration form here:  

Or if you prefer, please email or call Drew at (802) 282-9410, with the following information:

• Your first choice volunteer job.

• Second (and/or third) choice job. This is important, not everyone gets their first choice!

• Current email address and phone number.

• Do you use a smartphone (iphone or android)? Prefer text or email?

• Any other things I should know, such as time constraints, physical limitations, etc.

Spread the word to your family and friends! This is a great community event. We hope you will help us celebrate 31 years.

Remember, please reply ASAP for the best chance to get the job you desire. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone or email.

Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely yours,

Drew Terry

NWF Volunteer Coordinator

(802) 282-9410

Email: 

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Brief Description of New World Festival Volunteer Positions

Set-Up:  Be there at 8AM on Sunday to help move and set-up tables, chairs, signs, trash receptacles, and assist vendors move in. Stamina is necessary. Please do not request this assignment if you are unable to lift and carry continuously through the shift.

Note: We are also looking for a returning volunteer to be the point person for others during the set-up shift!

Set up/Break down Signs: On Saturday (maybe Sunday morning) the day before the festival, place festival signs in various locations (such as by exit 5), and take down the signs on Monday. This job would involve a brief orientation before the festival from one of the site managers, and volunteers would need a pickup or van to transport signs.

Recycling/Trash: Help save the environment! We are a green event and we need your help to separate recycling and remove trash, and do a sweep of the festival grounds to pick up remaining litter. This will be done during the festival and Monday AM.

Ticket Sales:  Sell festival and food tickets. Place admission bracelets. Must be able to efficiently operate an ipad (provided to you for the event). We allow people without admission bracelets to purchase food tickets but they must be informed that food tickets cannot be used to purchase alcoholic beverages and they may not enter the dance tent to eat.

Bethany Entryway:  Make sure EVERYONE has an admission bracelet. Audience numbers at Bethany will be restricted - entry persons here will need to make sure no one enters once capacity is reached. Also need to communicate with those inside regarding whether any seats are available to new enters.

Family Tent:  Assist with children's activities - watch puppet shows, paint faces, play games, bubble-blowing contests - have fun with the kids.

Chandler Main Stage entrance:  Make sure EVERYONE has an admission bracelet. No food or drink (except bottled water) permitted in Hall. Make sure doors are closed after people enter. Watch the stairs to the balcony to make sure people entering there have bracelets.  Last shift tips up seats and clears trash from the hall.

Festival Store:  Assist in sales of CDs and other festival swag.

Main Tent Security: Make sure no alcohol enters OR leaves the tent (it is the LAW). Watch for sharing of alcohol with underage or intoxicated patrons. 

Main Tent Tables: Watch for underage drinking and report to the bartender.  Keep tables cleared and orderly.  Help people put trash into appropriate recycle containers.

Refreshments: Sell water and food tickets. Be willing and able to count lots of tickets, make change with money, be good with numbers and like helping customers. 

Upper Gallery Entrance:  Check for bracelets, make sure no alcohol leaves the area if beer/wine is being served, keep entrance quiet during performance.

Cleanup:  Enjoy nearly the whole day's activities, then starting at 9-10pm help stack tables and chairs, remove signs, take down mini tents, put away leftovers, pick up trash, clear the area, etc.  Some stamina is necessary, and sobriety/attendance is critical.

Traffic Control: Direct/control traffic on either end of the festival’s street closure. Must be able to stand for a three (3) hour shift in potentially hot or inclement weather. 

Parking: Responsible for directing parking in the Bowling alley parking lot on Prince Street. Some experience is appreciated.

Instruments:  Make sure only musicians have access to instruments stored in the room beyond the kitchen upstairs at Chandler. Nice, quiet job with little interaction.

Miscellaneous:  There are a few miscellaneous jobs such as volunteer check in, musician check in, etc.  Emcees are generally by special invitation but please let me know if you have a commanding presence and would like the emcee job.

We are also looking for committed volunteers to join the New World Festival Committee! If you love the New World Festival, have volunteered in the past, and would like to support and help to make decisions about future NW festivals, please contact Chloe XXX.