Want to be part of Fall Festival? Volunteer

As a longtime volunteer for --an event that draws 300,000 people to town--chairwoman Cheryl Howard knows her way around the fest.

In recent years, Howard has not only been in charge of the 200-plus volunteers who "make the fest run like clockwork," she also pitches in wherever needed as part of the free labor pool. Because for Howard, working the fest isn't just about volunteering, it's about building a strong community.

With that goal in mind, a new feature Howard added to the volunteer experience this year is a scavenger hunt. Part training, part team building, part social activity, the hunt takes place at a volunteer gathering on Aug. 13, about three weeks before the festival gets underway.

"We're doing a walk around downtown Frankfort to introduce people to the festival grounds so they feel comfortable and know where things are going to be. We've done it before with individual groups, but we're trying to do it on a larger scale to get more interaction between older and newer volunteers," Howard said.

While a die-hard crew returns year after year, the need for workers increases as the fest continues to grow in popularity. New volunteers are always needed and welcome. 

"We need young legs on the streets," Howard said of the individuals who serve as Fall Fest liasions for the vendors, street by street. "It's a lot of walking."

The parade is also particularly labor intensive, and volunteers are needed to walk the street with the entries and to help with entrant parking. Running the vendor vehicle parking lots is also a high priority, as the artisans often have big trailers to which they need regular access throughout the weekend so parking becomes very strategic.

The information booth that sits in the middle of the fest at Oak and Kansas streets is both less intense and fun, according to Howard. Volunteers get to see a great cross section of the fest as they hand out maps and answer basic fest FAQs for visitors.

Behind the scenes (and in the air conditioning) is the communication hub in the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce office, where volunteers answer phones, monitor the volunteers' walkie talkies and relay messages between chairpeople during the festival. However, these jobs require some in depth knowledge of the fair itself, as well as Frankfort, Howard said.

If you're interested in volunteering, Howard asks that you sign up before the Aug. 13 training social if possible. If not, there will be a final mandatory volunteer meeting Aug. 24 to go over any updates and final instructions.

Youth volunteers are welcome and identified as "bluebies" and will be given an official blue shirt to wear on their shifts. Adult volunteers wear yellow. Howard also noted that high school students can receive community service hours for volunteering.

Sign up online at the Fall Festival website using the volunteer tab in the left menu bar or call the chamber office at 815-469-3356.