SALISBURY, Md. – The City of Salisbury’s largest event of the year is coming up, and hundreds of volunteers are needed to make the Maryland Folk Festival a success.
The three-day festival, which celebrates music, arts, culture, folklife and more, is set for Sept. 20-22 in Downtown Salisbury.
A variety of types of volunteer roles are available. In addition to volunteer shifts during festival hours, there are also shifts before and after the festival for setup and break down. All volunteers receive a free T-shirt, and students in need of service-learning hours can also earn them by volunteering at the festival.
The roles with the highest need at this time are Guest Services, Bike Valet and Bucket Brigade. The festival also needs extra help for the early Friday shifts for the Marketplace and for the early Saturday shifts for the Folklife Area.
To volunteer, visit www.MDFolkFest.com/volunteer and click on the green “Click Here to Volunteer” button to visit the GetConnected Volunteer Center link to choose a role and shift date/time. Volunteers can select multiple shifts.
“Our volunteers are integral to the success of the Maryland Folk Festival,” said Caroline O’Hare, events and culture manager for the City of Salisbury’s Arts, Business and Culture Department. “We appreciate each and every one of you, and we couldn’t do it without you.”
Volunteers must be at least age 12, and volunteers ages 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult parent or guardian. Volunteers ages 16 and 17 do not need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian, but all volunteers under 18 must have a parent or guardian co-sign a waiver form. Some volunteer roles have a minimum age requirement.
A volunteer orientation will be held Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 6-8 p.m. at the City of Salisbury Headquarters, located at 115 S. Division St. Site setup and take down, transportation and festival desk volunteers usually have training at another location and time, but all are welcome to attend the volunteer orientation.
For questions, visit www.MDFolkFest.com/volunteer or email mdffvolunteer@gmail.com
Photo caption: Bucket Brigade volunteers pose for a photo during the 2023 Maryland Folk Festival in Downtown Salisbury.
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About the Maryland Folk Festival
After more than five years as the host of the National Folk Festival, produced in collaboration with the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), the City of Salisbury’s Arts, Business, and Culture Department launched its own legacy festival in 2023. The 2024 festival is set for Sept. 20-22 in Downtown Salisbury.
This large-scale, multi-day outdoor event celebrates the roots, richness and variety of American culture. It features hundreds of the nation’s finest musicians, dancers, craftspeople and other keepers of culture in performances, workshops, and demonstrations, plus children’s activities, non-stop participatory dancing, storytelling, and more. https://mdfolkfest.com/
About the City of Salisbury, Maryland
Founded in 1732, Salisbury is the county seat of Wicomico County, a place where John Smith touched land in 1608 during his exploration of the Chesapeake Bay, bringing him in contact with the Wighcocomoco or Wicomico, the Nause, the Kusk’arawack, and the Nantaquack or Nanticoke tribes who had lived in the region for several millennia. Situated on Maryland’s historic Eastern Shore at the crossroads of the Delmarva Peninsula, Salisbury is now one of the region’s largest cities, and serves as the capital of the Eastern Shore, a rural area defined by its agricultural and maritime traditions, landscapes, and industries.
The Chesapeake Bay is central to this distinctive identity. Though a relatively small city, Salisbury is the geographic and economic hub of one of the nation’s fastest-growing Metropolitan Statistical Areas. The City of Salisbury is working to build its reputation as an arts and culture destination and is aligning its downtown development and revitalization efforts with the arts. Salisbury believes hosting the Maryland Folk Festival is the perfect catalyst to further a cultural renaissance and urban renewal. https://salisbury.md/
ABCD Events
The Arts, Business and Culture Department is responsible for fostering Salisbury’s thriving economic climate through supporting business, expanding economic opportunity, promoting artistic expression, hosting unique experiences, and maintaining regional attractions such as the Salisbury Zoo and Poplar Hill Mansion. By producing signature events, facilitating business incentives, and collaborating with stakeholders, this department strives to make Salisbury a place where arts, business, and culture intersect and flourish. https://salisbury.md/departments/arts-business-culture
