Introduction

Thank you for volunteering at the Shelter Valley Folk Festival!   Volunteering is a rewarding experience for everyone involved and we appreciate your decision to share your talents and experience with us.  I hope that you enjoy your time as a volunteer and that you will feel a part of the Shelter Valley Folk Festival community.  Our past volunteers have described their experience as both rewarding and challenging, and one they are glad they didn’t miss.

At the Shelter Valley Folk Festival we’re known for asking a lot from our volunteers but we also take good care of you. You are our ambassadors and in that capacity you have a lot of responsibilities.  We respect and thank you for all you do. 

As a Shelter Valley volunteer, you get free admission to the festival all weekend long; free camping, free meals prepared by your fellow volunteers and a deeply discounted volunteer t-shirt.  You also have access to volunteer events such the annual Pot Luck picnic and other volunteer appreciation events.   Other benefits include the opportunity to become a voting member at the festival’s annual general meeting.  The greatest reward, however, is the friendship, support and appreciation that you will receive from your fellow volunteers, the public, and the artists and artisans.

In exchange, we expect that you’ll be on time for your shifts; do your best to make the festival a great experience for ticket holders and fellow volunteers; follow some basic guidelines; and when in doubt, follow your heart.

Enjoy the festival!  Please see me over the weekend if you have any questions or concerns, or just want to say hello.

Ali Eisenhammer,
Volunteer Coordinator
(905)349-3951
failte@xplornet.com

Alcohol

No alcohol on the festival site, except in the camp grounds.  If you are of legal drinking age feel free to bring your beverage of choice to enjoy at your campsite.  We know you will respect the law and your fellow campers and drink responsibly.

All Hands Meeting

This is a great opportunity to meet the rest of your fellow volunteers and participate in a general orientation.  We’ll all gather for about 30 minutes in the Hospitality Area at 3:30 on the Friday of the festival.  Please plan to be there.

Arriving On Site

If you’re camping, you can set up your tent on the Thursday before the festival.   Please remember, however, that you will need to provide your own meals until supper time on the Friday of the festival.  If you are spending the night off site, arrival time is up to you but please be sure to be on time for your shifts.  Please park in the designated Volunteer Parking area.

Camping

Camping is provided for both volunteers and the ticket buying public.  A separate space is provided for volunteer camping but if you are with friends/family who are ticket holders, you are welcome to camp with them.  Camping is in an open field.  There are port-o-potties provided and bulk potable water but there are no shower facilities. 

We have limited camping space, so please take only as much space as you need. Camping is intended for tents or small trailers.  We have no room for RV’s, buses, large trailers, etc.

You can drive to the camping area to unload your camping equipment, but you can’t leave your vehicle by your camp site.  You’ll need to park in the designated volunteer parking area.  The parking/traffic control folks will show you where to park.

Poison ivy grows at various locations on the festival site.  We do take steps to control it in public areas but you may encounter it around the borders of the camp grounds and in the fields.  Please exercise appropriate caution.

Check In

When you arrive on site you will be met by our friendly Parking/Traffic Control Crew.  Please follow and respect their directions. They will also show you where to check in.  If you are in a wheelchair, on crutches or have other mobility concerns, please let them know and we will try to accommodate you.

The check in area is near the main gate.  You will be greeted by our Check-In Crew who are coordinating getting everyone (volunteers, musicians, media, food vendors, artists and Village contributors), other than ticket holders, onto the festival site.  Let them know you are a volunteer and they will take it from there.  You’ll be asked to read and sign the SVFF Code of Conduct and pay a nominal fee for your volunteer t-shirt.  The Check-In Crew will put a wrist band on you and issue your meal pass/name tag.

After you have checked in, you have access to the festival site.

Code of Conduct

The Code of Conduct is designed to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and understands what is expected of them.  A copy is attached for your information.   You will be asked to sign a copy when you check in.

First Aid

We contract with the St. John Ambulance to provide all on-site first aid.  If you need first aid, please visit the St. John Ambulance van which is located just inside the main gate, behind the Information Booth.  Please direct anyone requiring first aid to their van.

Hospitality Area

The hospitality area is your haven where you can go for breaks, meals, a quiet moment, a chat with friends… As a volunteer you have access to this area; ticket holders do not.  If you have your children with you, and they are too young to volunteer, you may bring them with you to the hospitality area.  This area is open from 6:00 a.m. till midnight, but the meals are limited to specific times.  Meal times will be listed on your meal pass.  Between meal times, you are welcome to use this space, but food will not be available, other than coffee, tea, water and the occasional piece of fruit.  The kitchen will be closed.  If you like to snack between meals, you may want to bring your own snacks and of course you’re welcome to visit the Public Food area to purchase some of Northumberland’s finest slow food.

If you are scheduled to work through an entire meal time, please arrange with your crew chief for a break or to have someone bring you your food.

Remember, this area is available to all volunteers, village contributors and musicians.  Enjoy the space and the camaraderie; make new friends and, especially at meal times, make room for everyone.

Pets

There are no pets allowed on site.  Only service animals are permitted.

Shifts

You will be contacted by your Crew Chief to schedule your weekend shifts.  If you have not put in any volunteer time in advance of the festival, you will be expected to volunteer for at least 12 hours over the weekend.  If you have questions about this, ask your Crew Chief or the Volunteer Coordinator.  Please be aware that this festival is almost entirely run by volunteers.  We rely on each other to put on a good show and take care of each other at the same time.  Please treat others with kindness and respect; be on time for your shifts and bring with you everything you might need for that shift, such as rain gear, a bottle of water, sunscreen, etc..

We hope to have all the shifts covered for the whole weekend, but there may be a gap here or there that needs to be covered.  We will post these at the Information Booth.  If you feel like pitching in a little extra time, drop by and check out the list.

Vehicles

All volunteer’s vehicles need to be parked in the volunteer parking lot – the Parking/Traffic Control folks will show you where that is.  The exception is to unload your vehicle for camping, or if you are sleeping in your vehicle in the camping area.

Please be aware that you will be driving through a farmer’s field.  The driving is a bit rough and if/when it gets wet, the conditions can be slippery.  Please pay close attention to the Parking/Traffic Control Crew.

Volunteer Etiquette

While you are on shift, you are required to wear your volunteer t-shirt, so you can be instantly recognizable to assist when needed.  This also means that your conduct, behaviour and attitude are more obvious.  Please keep this in mind.  Some of the best feedback we get from ticket holders is on how polite, co-operative and friendly our volunteers are.  Help us keep our excellent reputation.

If you are concerned about sunburn or it is a bit chilly, feel free to wear a long sleeve shirt under your volunteer t-shirt but avoid covering it up unless necessary, eg. heavy rain.

While wearing your volunteer t-shirt, you can count on being asked a question or two that you won’t know the answer to.  People will assume you know or can find out.  If you don’t know the answer, ask someone or just direct them to your Crew Chief or someone wearing a yellow volunteer t-shirt.  The “Yellow Shirts” are members of the Organizing Committee and can likely help.

You’ll want to be sure to catch your favourite musical acts and, for some, that will mean getting a good spot in the audience areas to see and hear.  Although you have full access to the audience areas, please do not put down chairs or tarps until the gates are open.  The ticket buying public has priority.  Tarps should be no larger than 6 x 8 ft.  Chairs higher than 2 ft. should be at the back of the seating area.  We encourage you to ‘dance and celebrate’ but please do this at the sides of the stages so you don’t obstruct the view for the rest of the audience.

Please be quiet in the audience areas.  If you’re on shift and have a radio, sit well off to the side.  Remember to mute cell phones in audience areas and leave recording devices at home.

There is no smoking in the audience areas.  Please “pinch and pocket” your cigarette butts. Containers are available at the Information Booth

Volunteer T-Shirt

A volunteer t-shirt will be provided for you, based on the size you indicated when you registered to volunteer.  We ask you to offset the cost of ensuring that these shirts come from non-sweatshop sources by donating a nominal fee when you check in.  Please bring change; changing a $50 bill in a farmer’s field is really challenging!

You are required to wear your volunteer t-shirt at all times during your shifts.

What to Bring

This is a rain or shine, outdoor festival, held in a farmer’s field from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon.  We have been attacked by hurricanes and blessed by clear blue skies and gentle lake breezes.  Please bring clothes that are suited to all weather conditions and that will enable you to show up and stay for the duration of your shift.  The ground is uneven and, if it rains, can be muddy and slippery, so bring suitable footwear.

There’s nothing as magical as an outdoor concert, especially at night with an overhead sky full of sparkling stars.  When you leave the site or head up to your campground, though, those stars won’t be enough to illuminate your journey.  A flashlight and extra batteries are something you will treasure.  September nights can get cold.  Plan ahead with warm clothes and suitable camping gear.  After hours campfires are part of the festival experience.  Please leave your portable CD player at home and bring your instruments, songs and voices. 

Over the course of the weekend, you may want to purchase CD’s, food and art.  Bring cash as there is no ATM on site.

Finally, bring your smiles, positive energy and a helpful attitude.  Help us build a warm and welcoming community that you want to come back to year, after year, after year …….

Shelter Valley Folk Festival
Volunteer Code of Ethics

The Shelter Valley Folk Festival Organizing Committee is very pleased to have you commit your time to help make this festival a great success.  Your efforts, and those of many, many others, are a part of a larger vision to bring music, arts, wellness and fine food together for an enriching and enjoyable event.  The Festival counts on you.  Thank you in advance for your help. 

As with any event of this scale, there must be guidelines to follow.  Please read on for an outline of expected practices and behaviours for you to follow at the festival.