FESTIVAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS are volunteer leaders who support event planning and operations. Committee membership requires a more significant time commitment throughout the year to help shape decisions and selections for the Festival. They also receive special perks identifying and celebrating them as committed Festival committee members. To join a committee, please email sah@salina.org with the committee you are interested in, and we will put you in touch with the appropriate staff member.
Desired traits for all committee members include:
- Good interpersonal and customer service skills
- Ability to work individually and in a group
- Willingness to work outdoors in various weather conditions
- Ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs. Accommodations can be made as needed.
All Festival volunteers and committee members must be 12 years and older and 16 and older to operate a golf cart. Volunteers need to purchase admission to get into the park. If a volunteer cannot afford admission, generous underwriters have provided admission through the Festival Families First program. https://www.riverfestival.com/attend/#admission
If you are interested in joining a Festival Committee, please email sah@salina.org or call 785-309-5770.
Ambassadors Committee
Arts Ambassadors provide hospitality services to artists.
Estimated time commitment: approx. 10 hours
Throughout the year: 3-5 hours in April and July
During Festival weekend: 4 – 5 hours
Desired traits: supervision and task management skills, enthusiasm, organization skills, ability to carry drink thermos, cups, and drink condiments
Committee members have the opportunity to:
- Directs hospitality operations for the Fine Art & Craft Show and Art Demo area
- Participate in a phone bank in April to recruit shift volunteers
- The committee sets up and organizes the Ambassadors’ workyard and RV for daily operations
- The team orients, assigns, and supervises shifts of two-hour volunteers while maintaining a safe and organized shaded work area and adjacent RV and ice machine
- Each Committee member works one four to five-hour supervisory shift on-site
- Committee leaders must have a working knowledge of Festival grounds and its many components and a desire to involve others in the inner workings of Festival operations
Art Patron & Art Show East Committee
Art Patron & Art Show East committee members plan and execute the art patron program and PREMIERE party + breakfast and provide assistance and hospitality to approximately 70 artists..
Estimated time commitment: approx. 16 hours
Throughout the year: 2-4 hours
During Festival weekend: 12 hours
Desired traits: enthusiasm, attentive, detail-oriented with good supervision and task management skills, ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs; accommodations can be made as needed
Committee members have the opportunity to:
- Provide administrative support to the Visual Arts Coordinator for the planning and administration of the annual PREMIERE artist and art patron parties and the East Side Art Show
- Promote and facilitate the Festival Art Patron program
- Identify Perspective donors and assist with admin duties, marketing, and promotion
- Provide on-site service and support at the PREMIERE party
- Hand out check-in packets upon artists’ arrival
- Answer questions and meet needs beyond hospitality services
- Provide hospitality to East Side Artists and Patrons throughout the show.
- Drink and booth-sitting support if needed
- Direct Hospitality for Patron VIP Tent
- Host Patron’s Breakfast on Friday morning
- Host Artist’s Continental Breakfast on Sunday morning
- Evaluate processes and provide feedback to Festival staff after the event
Art Show West Committee
Art Show West Committee members provide assistance and hospitality to approximately 50 artists.
Estimated time commitment: approx. 12 hours
Throughout the year: N/A
During Festival weekend: 9-12 hours
Desired traits: enthusiasm, attentive, detail-oriented with good supervision and task management skills, ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs; accommodations can be made as needed
Committee members have the opportunity to:
- Provide administrative support to the Visual Arts Coordinator for the administration of the West Side Art Show
- Perform on-site administrative duties
- Hand out check-in packets upon artists’ arrival
- Answer questions and meet needs beyond hospitality services
- Provide hospitality to West Side Artists throughout the show.
- Drink and booth-sitting support if needed
- Host Artist’s Continental Breakfast on Sunday morning
- Evaluate processes and provide feedback to Festival staff after the event
Artyopolis Committee
Artyopolis provides a place for children to be creative, and volunteers are needed to refill supplies and assist children with craft projects and playing games.
Estimated time commitment: approx. 15 hours
Throughout the year: 2-3 hours
During Festival weekend: 9-12 hours total Friday – Sunday.
Desired traits: enjoy working with children, planning activities
Committee members have the opportunity to:
- Assists the Artyopolis Coordinator with the pre-festival selection of art activities for Creation Crossing and volunteer recruitment
- During the Festival, each committee member serves nine to twelve (9-12) hours over the weekend. They are responsible for volunteer coordination, check-in, workstation assignment, providing drinks, answering questions, and refilling supplies as needed
- Evaluate processes and provide feedback to Festival staff after the event
Craft Demonstration Committee
Craft demonstration committee members provide assistance and hospitality to demonstration artists.
Estimated Time Commitment: approx. 15 hours
Throughout the year: N/A
During Festival weekend: 12-16 hours
Desired traits: enthusiasm, attentive, detail-oriented with good supervision and task management skills, ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs; accommodations can be made as needed
Committee members have the opportunity to:
- Provide administrative support to the Visual Arts Coordinator for the administration of the Craft Demonstration Area of the Festival
- Perform on-site administrative duties
- Hand out check-in packets upon artists’ arrival
- Answer questions and meet needs beyond hospitality services
- Provide simple logistic and tech support to the eight demonstrating artists
- Provide hospitality to craft demonstration artists throughout the show from load-in to load-out.
- Drink and booth-sitting support
- Distribute snack bags
- Host artist’s continental breakfast on Sunday
- Evaluate processes and provide feedback to Festival staff after the event
The entertainment committee reviews entertainment options for the Festival’s four live stages and roving performers. They assist and review selected performers at the Festival and report back to the coordinator.
Estimated time commitment: approx. 13 hours
Throughout the year: 4-7 hours
During Festival weekend: 5-6 hours
Desired traits: social and cultural awareness and attention to entertainment that is representative of the community’s interest
Committee members have the opportunity to:
- Work closely with Festival staff to review and identify available musicians/acts for the Festival and make recommendations about placement (headline, multi-stage, Sunday, etc.)
- Recommend options representative of the community’s artistic and cultural interests
- Review electronic press kits, videos, and other methods of artist representation in the review of potential Festival entertainment
- On-site: evaluate the artists’ effectiveness in reaching the Festival audience. Support artist transportation and hospitality
- Evaluate processes and provide feedback to Festival staff after the event
Food Committee
Food committee members select food vendor options for the Festival. They assist onsite vendors, review performance/product, and report to the coordinator.
Estimated time commitment: approx. 20 – 27 hours
Throughout the year: 5-7 hours
During Festival weekend: 3-4 hours per day, starting Wednesday
Desired traits: love of food, good communication skills, a people person, a fast thinker for problem-solving
Committee Members have the opportunity to:
- Serve for an indefinite time at their choosing. The commitment is for a year at a time.
- helping to define the application process with their first meeting in October/November
- jury applications in March; this is done by referring to the previous year’s Food Quality Reports and identifying the Festival menu
- Meet in May to coordinate their schedules and other on-site details
- On Wednesday before the Festival, help the food vendors set up
- At the event, they liaise between the food vendors, food inspectors, attendees, and staff
- Do quality reports on each food vendor
- Evaluate processes and provide feedback to Festival staff after the event
Hospitality Committee
Hospitality provides a place for artists, vendors, and entertainers to relax in an air-conditioned trailer with snacks and drinks. It also serves as the Festival Headquarters for staff and volunteers.
Estimated time commitment: approx. 12 hours
Throughout the year: 3-6 hours
During Festival weekend: 3-6 hours
Desired traits: enthusiasm, good listening and communication skills, ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs; accommodations can be made as needed
Committee members have the opportunity to:
- Recruit and staff the hospitality trailer for four days (3-hour shifts)
- Run errands or purchases throughout the Festival (as needed)
- Train new volunteers
- Fill in three-hour shifts for the volunteer schedule as needed (setup/teardown and any other slots not filled)
- Evaluate processes and provide feedback to Festival staff after the event