Each summer, Yellowknifers gather together with one common goal: putting on a festival to remember! (Granted, for a lot of you, the ‘to remember’ bit does not go according to plan.) This year is no different! Our 35th Anniversary festival is bigger and better than ever, and to this end, we need the manpower/womanpower to make it happen! Thirty-five years of sun, sand and great music is no mean feat. Thousands of volunteers have passed through the festival gates year after year to create this incredible legacy of community spirit. Get signing up to become a part of it this year.
You never know, in 35 years time, this could be you:
Folk on the Rocks Staff, 1983: Top Row: Michael Rodgers, Victor MacIntosh, Bob Alteman, Dave Simmonds, Bernie Little, John Morton, Elvis Tambour Bottom Row: Peter Cullen, Stella Desjarlais, Heather Pritchard, Joyce Rabesca, Henry Basil
Anyone out there know who took this photo?
Why should I volunteer?
Are you sitting on your couch right now, reading this while mockingly exclaiming WHY!? Why indeed. How does a free ticket to the festival sound? Not so mocking now, are ya? Volunteers earn a festival day pass by working 7 hours and a full weekend pass by working 13 hours.
Apart from that sweet deal, volunteers are the ones who, while watching their favourite act on Sunday night, can pat themselves on the back and say ‘I helped make this happen’. has long fostered a deep sense of community pride, with the vast majority of Yellowknifers getting involved in the festival in one way or another. To volunteer at Folk is to be part of a larger family.
Meeting your favourite act and potentially falling in love and marrying him/her*, free state-of-the-art Volunteer T-shirt, smug sense of pride and self-worth, even more smug ability to say ‘I was there when….’, and the advantage of being able to correct other’s opinions on music with the effective retort ‘I WORKED at a festival, I think I know what I’m talking about**…’
*May or may not happen in real life.
**Folk on the Rocks is not responsible for the disintegration of relationships or friendships.
Photo by Stephanie Lauren
Where can I volunteer?
No matter how outlandish and strange your personal interests are, Folk on the Rocks has a job for you. Can you sell an F150 to a 90 year old to do their grocery shopping? Well the merchandise booth is for you then. Like throwing your weight around, wearing shades at night and asking for ID? Security is beckoning. Can you rival Tom Cruise’s effortless skills in that classic movie Cocktail? Then the beer garden is the place for you!
We also need people with imagination, a sense of fun and the patience of a saint (just joking) to work in the Kids Zone, as well as ticket hawkers and site crew. The environment team is looking for committed young people who want to make Folk on the Rocks a cleaner and greener festival. Volunteers can work in a huge variety of areas at this year’s festival, both during the actual festival weekend and beforehand! Talk to our Volunteer Coordinator at this weekend’s Recruitment night to find out what else is available!
If you’re new to town, volunteering for Folk on the Rocks is a great way to get involved in the community and meet new people. As a volunteer, you get to meet the town’s coolest people (oh, stop!), see the best of the North’s musical talent and work at one of the world’s most breathtaking festival sites. Taking pride in Folk on the Rocks is what Yellowknife does best. With that support we are able to grow bigger and better every year.
Photo by Stephanie Lauren
Hear it from the horse’s mouth
“Volunteering for Folk on the Rocks has always been a highlight of my summer and I keep coming back for more! The beer garden has been my area of choice for many years now. I’ve gotten to reconnect with old friends and make many new ones as well. I’ve definitely learned a few tricks along the way. Like bring as much sunscreen as you can, for those of us who have paler skin it is a must! You can also never have too much bug spray. There have been times when I’ve gone home with some killer sunburns but it’s all been worth it. At the end of the night getting to watch the acts on the main stage seems all the more satisfying because I know that I’ve been a small part of making everything possible.”
- Maud Robinson Spence, Former FOTR Volunteer and current Volunteer Coordinator
Where can I sign up?
Come to our Volunteer Recruitment night this Saturday May 30th at Javaroma from 7-9pm or sign-up online.
