Smithsonian Folklife Festival

The Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage is inviting volunteers to be part of the 43rd annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival to be held outdoors on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, June 24, through Sunday, June 28, and Wednesday, July 1, through Sunday, July 5, 2009. Produced by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, the Festival is a living exhibition of traditional culture featuring outstanding musicians, craftspeople, storytellers, cooks, occupational specialists, and more.

Volunteers are critical to the success of the Festival and work closely with our staff as well as with Festival participants of various backgrounds. Past volunteers say they keep coming back to the Festival year after year because it offers "great fun, great people, and lots to learn." Some volunteers have returned for as many as 33 years!

Volunteers may be asked to assist Festival participants or stage managers, sell programs, help with the audiovisual recording of performances and presentations, or lend a hand with the many administrative duties essential to the success of the Festival. These are only a few of the opportunities available to volunteers.

If you would like to volunteer your service, and if you have access to the Internet, please complete the Volunteer Questionnaire on-line at http://www.folklife.si.edu/join_us/volunteers.aspx and return it via e-mail as soon as possible. E-mailing your application will save time, paper, and resources! Otherwise, you may fax the questionnaire to us at 202.633.6476. You may also mail it to us.

Our Volunteer Orientation will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2009, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, at which time there will be staff introductions, a tour of the Festival site, and meetings with lead volunteers. If you have questions or comments, please contact me by telephone at 202.633.6484 or by e-mail at jenkinsl@si.edu.

Volunteers must be 16 years of age.

This opportunity is sponsored by: Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Upcoming Dates:

We need volunteers who are free at these times One-Time Weekends Weekdays   This volunteer opportunity is available to the following types of volunteers Adolescents (13-17) Multi-lingual Adults (26-54) Special Needs Adults (55+) Young Adults (18-25) Individual

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Contact Person: Laura Jenkins, Volunteer Coordinator, (202) 633-6484, (email) View all agency contacts

Web Site: http://www.folklife.si.edu/