Volunteers Needed For BBQ, Blues & Bluegrass and Book Festival

Decatur's motto is not "City of Festivals," but it could be. LeeAnn Harvey, the volunteer coordinator for the City of Decatur, says volunteers are needed for two upcoming events. Here's her message.

Decatur Barbeque, Blues, & Bluegrass Festival
Harmony Park – Oakhurst section of Decatur
Saturday, August 18, 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

The only thing that’s more fun than attending the Decatur Barbeque, Blues, & Bluegrass Festival is pitching in to help make it happen. Year after year, friends and neighbors show up to do just that: set up the venue, work the gates, pour beer and sell ice water, support the bands, and take it all down when it’s over.

Bring your organization, round up a group of friends, or just come on down by yourself and meet a great community of people.  Volunteers get a free volunteer t-shirt, free entrance to the festival and a fun-filled day with your neighbors and friends!

Our volunteer sign-up sheet is at http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/50234563425383006 and is filled on a first come first serve basis. For questions about volunteering, please email bbqvolunteers@yahoo.com.

Not able to volunteer?: Simply come and enjoy the festivities! Visit www.decaturbbqfestival.com for more information. All of the profits from this event go back directly into the community via the Decatur Active Living Department, the Community Center of South Decatur and the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association (ONA).

Decatur Book Festival Stage Captain Captains

The Decatur Book Festival has a limited number of openings for Stage Captains. This is the perfect position for a detail-oriented person with leadership skills, the ability to speak with large groups, as well as the ability to interact with individuals. You will be assigned to one of the main Decatur Book Festival stages where you will be in charge of all activities taking place and will supervise the volunteers.

A Stage Captain is an integral part of the on-site operations for the Decatur Book Festival. Because the Festival is housed in many venues in the heart of downtown Decatur, it is necessary to have a select group of volunteers who are willing to take responsibility of a venue as representatives of the Festival.

Stage Captains must be confident and responsible individuals. Stage Captains will be asked to maintain the Festival schedule, facilitate the author lectures and book signings, ensure the safety and enjoyment of Festival attendees and maintain and energize the morale of Venue Support volunteers. In essence, a Stage Captain is both a stage manager and a house manager who reports directly to Book Festival Staff.

Stage Captains will oversee the volunteers setting up the venue and assure there is the right number of chairs, podium if needed, etc. You will supervise the volunteers who would be getting people seated and controlling the entry of patrons into your author event and the book signing. At the beginning of the talk/reading, you will very briefly welcome everyone to the festival and the event, go over some basic housekeeping information, and then introduce the introducer.

Most importantly, you will keep your stage on its time schedule. You will ensure the author(s) stops their presentation and allows time for audience questions. It may be necessary to encourage audience participation in the question and answer period. After the event, you will oversee the volunteers as they keep traffic moving smoothly to the signing which will occur in a directly adjacent space.

Preference is given to volunteers who have had previous experience assisting at the Decatur Book Festival or another author event. Stage Captain training will take place in early August. Captains will have the opportunity to visit their stage a number of times prior to the festival, so you will a thorough knowledge of the layout.

We prefer at least a one day commitment to the festival to maintain continuity at each stage. A two day commitment is preferable. Stage Captains will be paired together to allow for breaks throughout the day. The author events at these stages will take place on Saturday, September 1 and Sunday, September 2. To sign up as a Stage Captain, please concact Nonie Ravenberg at nonie@decaturbookfestival.com or Lee Ann Harvey at leeann.harvey@decaturga.com or 678-553-6548.