The Sequim Irrigation Festival is staffed entirely with volunteers. Over a hundred people are involved in the making of the Irrigation Festival. Volunteer activities range from large commitments such as being on the Board of Directors and planning and coordinating the festival events, to small commitments such as helping to set up or decorate an event, taking tickets at an event, etc.
As the festival approaches many of the events have volunteer opportunities. If you are interested in volunteering for a particular event you can learn more about the event by going to that page.
Current Volunteer Opportunities include:
Float Design
Design the 2024 float based on the 2024 theme and storyline.
Design of the float begins as soon as the tagline and/or storyline for the upcoming festival have been defined. This is normally complete by July for the next festival.
You would work as a consultant on the construction of the float to answer questions and help as needed. The construction takes place from November through early March.
Float Construction
Assemble and manage a crew to build the 2024 float based on the theme.
The last parade of the year is normally in early October. Tearing down the float can begin at that time, and building of the float starts as soon as that is done.
Construction of the float takes place from November through mid-March. The amount of time to build the float depends on the complexity of the float design. We anticipate a pretty simple float design for the 2024 festival.
The float gets ‘rolled out’ at the Kickoff Dinner & Auction, which takes place in mid-March.
Volunteer Coordinator
Recruit volunteers to work in many capacities needed to plan the festival. Overall management of the volunteers during the festival. Develop a volunteer recognition program. Work with the event leads to define jobs for volunteers.
The Volunteer Coordinator is responsible for finding volunteers to work with the festival in many capacities. From June through the end of the year, the focus is on finding volunteers to work on the planning of the upcoming festival. These may be people to lead the organizing of an event or find people to work on event teams.
As the festival approaches the recruitment focus switches to finding volunteers to work at events during the festival. This includes identifying ‘jobs’ that organizations can take on, as well as needs for individual volunteers. This focus is concentrated in the mid-March through April timeframe.
During the festival, the Volunteer Coordinator works with the event leads to manage and direct the volunteers. This is a full-time commitment for the first 2 weekends of May.
Additionally, the Volunteer Coordinator works with the board to define the volunteer program, including benefits (i.e., volunteer t-shirts), recognition, marketing to attract volunteers, etc.
The breakdown of Volunteer Coordinator activities:
- September – December
- Work with the board to define the volunteer program for the festival
- Work to find volunteers to help in organizing festival events
- January – February
- Work to find volunteers to help in organizing the festival events
- Define a marketing plan to find volunteers
- March – April
- Work with events to help define ‘jobs’ that organizations can do and begin contact with organizations to arrange for those
- Work with events to help define ‘jobs’ for individuals
- Solicit volunteers to work the festival
- Create a schedule of volunteers to work the festival
- Contact all volunteers to schedule and confirm
- May (festival)
- Manage the volunteers during setup, support at the festival, and takedown
Crazy Callen Weekend Sign Coordinator
Develop a sign plan to direct attendees to the festival and information/direction signs within the festival to guide people to the events and activities, and provide them information needed to enjoy the festival best. Manage the creation of all the signs needed by the events and the placement of those signs.
Manage the placement of the signs around town to direct people to the events. Pick up all the signs around town at the end of the weekend.
Manage the display of all banners, flags, and signs within the festival. Create a schedule of signs that need to be updated during the weekend and ensure that these changes occur. This will include entertainment schedule signs, demonstration signs, etc.
The sign plan can take place over a couple of months leading up to the festival. As the events define the details of their event the signs can be created. The intent is to get the majority of the signs created early in the planning process (i.e., January – March) and only have schedule-specific signs left to create close to the festival. This spreads the workload out for the sign coordinator.
The Sign Coordinator will also be responsible for the arrangements for the hanging of the banner across Washington Street at the west end of town. This includes creating the permit to reserve the space, arranging to get the banners updated with current dates, delivering the banners to the city, and picking them up after the festival.
The placement of signs around town will happen early on the first Saturday of the month and pickup will happen after 4 pm on Sunday.
The breakdown of efforts is as follows:
- September – February: directional signs
- Define the directional signs to be placed around town
- arrange for the signboards to create signs
- arrange for sign components to create signs
- September – February: CCW General Signs
- Define the general signs to be placed around the events (banners above tents, directions within the festival, banners for the back of bandshell, etc.)
- Arrange to have the signs/banners made
- Make any structures to hold the general signs
- Make arrangements for a banner to be over Washington Street
- March – April: Event Specific Signs
- Get the information from the events for event-specific schedules
- Arrange to have the signs made
- Banners to the city for hanging over Washington St
- May – festival weekend
- Manage getting the signs placed around town
- Manage getting signs placed around the festival
- Manage changing out signs as needed during the festival
- Manage pickup of all signs after the festival
Crazy Callen Weekend Food Court Coordinator
Find, approve, and manage the vendors for the Crazy Callen Weekend Food Court. Manage the layout of the vendors, tables, and chairs for attendees and tents for viewing the entertainment. Manage the participant courtesy tent for vendors, volunteers, and staff.
Finding the vendors for the food court will begin in December with the updating of the food vendor application. These will normally be due in mid-March, and then the selection of the food vendors can take place. If necessary, the Food Court Coordinator may need to contact food vendors to encourage them to apply. The Beer Garden is also managed by the Food Court Coordinator.
Once selected the food vendors need to be managed to ensure we know their power requirements, they have liability insurance, health department permits, etc.
In April when the food vendors are set, create a map showing the location of the food vendors, beer garden, seating, chairs, tents, etc.
Coordinate the courtesy tent. We have a tent for coffee and doughnuts, water, etc for the vendors and staff during the weekend. Make arrangements for the supply of water and coffee, pick up supplies, make the coffee as required, pick up the pastries, set up the tent, break down the tent, etc.
The breakdown of efforts is as follows:
- December – update application and begin marketing efforts
- Jan – Feb – monitor the applications and solicit vendors as needed
- March – Solicitation of potential vendors, deciding on vendors, confirm with vendors, create a preliminary map, determine power needs, etc.
- April – confirm layout, make arrangements for courtesy tent supplies,
- Festival weekend – manage the setup of the food court area (including tents, tables, and chairs) and courtesy tent, ensure tables are cleaned, trash picked up during the weekend, and then tear-down at the end
Festival Visual Branding Designer
Work as part of the Marketing team to develop and create consistent visual components of the festival including banners, signs, flags, and other information features within the festival.
Define the look and feel of Crazy Callen Weekend. This is a job that is needed primarily for this year and is needed from September – January.