volunteers
** read this whole page before applying **
person in a crowd wearing a jean jacket and a bandana has their hands in the air and is smiling
VOLUNTEERS ARE THE HEART OF OUR COMMUNITY
Volunteering is a great way to contribute to our festival community, meet new friends, and be a part of the festival environment. Part of our mandate as an organization is to encourage civic responsibility, capacity building, and sustainability - that is how we came to our unconventional volunteering model. We ask that our volunteers contribute 8 hours of time (typically 2 x 4 hour shifts) and a fee of $45. For this, you receive a full festival pass, free tent camping, a ticket to our legendary Sunday night volunteer party, and the warm, fuzzy feeling associated with helping to create an amazing event. It truly takes a community to raise a festival.
Application
Here is a link to the 2025 Volunteer Application. Once received and accepted, you will receive an email from Emily, our volunteer coordinator, with a link to pay our fee of $45. Your volunteer spot is secured once the fee is received. At the end of April/beginning of May, you will hear from us again with more specifics regarding your volunteer job and schedule. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or comments at tinylightsvolunteer@gmail.com.
What? I have to pay to volunteer?
Yes. Let us explain our model. We ask for fewer volunteer hours than other festivals which means that you have more time to enjoy Tiny Lights. You are also given access to all venues and workshops. It is our hope that you are able to see great music, learn new skills, and have lots of spare time to wander around our magical town discovering new artists and experiences.
We are a tiny festival and we are limited in our capacity by our model. We will never be a 5000-person festival and we love it that way! Like most festivals, we are dependent on our gate sales and with limited capacity and so many volunteers, it is important for us to find a financial model that will keep Tiny Lights sustainable too.
Thank you so much again. We can’t wait to see what kind of festival we can build together.
Note - If you truly cannot afford the $45 fee and you really want to be involved in the festival, we do have some creative solutions. You can email us at tinylightsvolunteer@gmail.com
VOLUNTEER ROLES
We have many volunteer positions at Tiny Lights. The following are brief descriptions so that you see where you can best contribute.
Door/Gate
Greeting people at the gate/venue door, checking wristbands, answering questions. Moving around chairs etc. if needed. Being friendly is a must - you can normally check out the bands that are playing too!
Waste Management/Recycling
Keeping the festival clean and tidy! Your job will be sorting and transporting waste, recycling and compost and, at times, standing at a waste station to educate festival go-ers on which bins to use.
Early Morning Cleanup
Cleanup of the two main venues starting at 7am Saturday/Sunday - only solid, reliable, awesome workers need apply for this one!
Super Booth
Greeting people at the main gate, checking tickets, issuing wristbands - this can be fast paced and requires admin skills and attention to detail. Big, happy excited smiles and a calm demeanor are needed here too!
Merchandise Booth
Display and sales of festival and artist merchandise - must be responsible and stoked on customer service! Retail skills/cash handling an advantage.
Bar
Serving drinks to partying festival folk responsibly. A fun job with some late night hours at a busy venue. Serving it Right is required.
Camping/Parking
Greeting people and directing them to the correct camping/parking area.
Kitchen Hand
Helping with food prep/cleaning - i.e. artist kitchen/volunteer party.
Runner
Running errands around the festival - this job is fluid, flexible and ever-changing; lots of walking. You may find yourself helping out in all kinds of random ways.
First Aid
Being on call and available for first aid duties. Please provide your first aid experience/qualifications with your application.
Setup Crew
Helping with setup of signs, fencing, tables, toilets etc. Great if you are handy and like helping out wherever needed to get the job done!
Tear Down Crew
Helping tear down and tidy up the town after all the weekend fun is over for another year. Responsible, reliable volunteers are needed for this role - one of the most important jobs requiring total commitment - no flaking allowed!
CAMPING
Tent camping is free for all volunteers. Car camping is also free, but limited. Due to very limited spots, RV camping is not free. Volunteers needing an RV spot will need to buy a separate RV pass on our website.