Lowell National Historical Park and partners are producing the 35th Annual Folk Festival in Lowell on July 28-30, 2023. For this grand festival to continue as the largest free folk festival in the country, we are recruiting more than a thousand volunteers. You could be one of them!

We are inviting volunteers, businesses, and organizations to donate their time and energy. Individual volunteers will continue to be the event’s backbone, and we are also recruiting teams of volunteers sponsored by businesses and organizations to:

Bucket Brigade: Team members work in small groups, responsible for interacting with visitors to collect donations throughout the Folk Festival. In return for visitors donating, they receive party beads. Groups work at different sites and will walk through the festival asking for donations. Sites vary and may be uneven or require standing for long periods of time near loud music. This is outdoor work with the potential for weather conditions of rain or extreme heat. The responsibilities of this position are only for the duration of the 2023 Lowell Folk Festival in the city of Lowell, MA and are within the Lowell National Historical Park. 

Sales: Sales volunteers staff merchandise areas which help support Lowell Folk Festival.  Training for selling LFF products is provided. More than one person is needed to staff these areas. This is a great opportunity to volunteer with a friend. Although a tent is provided, weather conditions may include extreme heat or rain. You may be expected to stand for extended periods. The responsibilities of this position are only for the duration of the 2023 Lowell Folk Festival in the city of Lowell, MA and are within the Lowell National Historical Park.

Experience Lowell Marketplace: Volunteers help artists set up and take down their displays on Saturday and Sunday. Assist with visitors as needed. You will learn about the art and provide breaks for artists if needed. This site is located in a large outdoor tent in the Enterprise Bank parking lot with potential for weather conditions of extreme heat or rain. The responsibilities of this position are only for the duration of the 2023 Lowell Folk Festival in the city of Lowell, MA and are within the Lowell National Historical Park

Information: Volunteers work with the Convention and Visitors bureau to provide information about Lowell Folk Festival, Lowell National Historical Park, and the city of Lowell to guests.  This position is outside under a tent, but you should be aware that weather conditions may include rain or extreme heat.  Long periods of standing and loud music should also be expected. The responsibilities of this position are only for the duration of the 2023 Lowell Folk Festival in the city of Lowell, MA and are within the Lowell National Historical Park.

Set-Up / Take-down: Set-up and Take down volunteers will be carrying and arranging tables and chairs, putting up or taking down directional signs, moving tents on or off the streets, and any other duty as required. You need to be in reasonable physical shape. The position may require extended amounts of walking and/or standing on uneven surfaces. This position may also include being near loud musical equipment. The working conditions may be extreme hear or rain. This position will occur during the 2023 Lowell Folk Festival in the city of Lowell, MA and are within the Lowell National Historical Park.

Volunteer Assistant: Staff Volunteer check-in sites at Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center @ 246 Market Street and/or at the Mogan Cultural Center on French Street.  Greet volunteers arriving to sign in. Check that paperwork is complete and make sure that they receive their tees and badges if that job requires one.  Provide direction to sites where they are working. This position can have two people staffing the site.  Great for friends to work together. This position will occur during the 2023 Lowell Folk Festival in the city of Lowell, MA and are within the Lowell National Historical Park.

Trolley Line Assistant: Staff Trolley access lines at during the Lowell folk Festival.  Locations include Mack Plaza and Boarding House Park. This is to provide safe boarding and de-barking of trolley at stop locations. Line assistants provide safe passage of trolley along intersection of Merrimack and Dutton Street. Great for friends to work together. This site is located outdoors with potential for weather conditions of extreme heat or rain. The responsibilities of this position are only for the duration of the 2023 Lowell Folk Festival in the city of Lowell, MA and are within the Lowell National Historical Park

Water and Ice: Volunteers assist NPS staff delivering ice and water to stages and other locations within the festival grounds. Transporting water and Ice with festival golf cart. The responsibilities of this position are only for the duration of the 2023 Lowell Folk Festival in the city of Lowell, MA and are within the Lowell National Historical Park.

Craft Area Assistant: Assist Folk Crafters unloading and setting up their sites. Assistant is the go between helping visitors and crafters.  Provide breaks to the crafter. Work with the food crafters by assisting with passing out samples of food that was demonstrated. Assist with packing up and storing items overnight. This position is outside and may include extended amounts of standing or walking on uneven surfaces. Since it is outside there is potential for weather conditions of extreme heat or rain.  The responsibilities of this position are only for the duration of the 2023 Lowell Folk Festival in the city of Lowell, MA and are within the Lowell National Historical Park.

Transportation: Transportation/ drivers will work to ensure a safe travel experience for the performers during the Lowell Folk Festival. This position may require driving a government automobile or government rented automobile. Several highway driving trips, and airport runs to the city of Boston may be required. Drivers navigate the city during the festival to ensure that performers reach stages on time for their performance.  This position requires a valid driver’s License and a CORI check. Drivers are needed starting Wednesday July 26th for airport pickups, throughout the weekend and may also extend to Monday July 31st for airport drop off.  

Performer Guide: Performer Guide volunteers work directly with the artist or band to ensure a positive experience. The position may require extensive amounts of standing or walking on uneven surfaces in potential weather conditions of extreme heat or rain, as well as this the position may be near a site that has loud musical equipment. You will work directly with the performers during the festival.  If possible, we ask that the performer guide assist longer than the normal shift and typically for multiple days.  When possible, guides can be assigned to a group for the day or the weekend. The responsibilities of this position are for the duration of the 2023 Lowell Folk Festival in the city of Lowell, MA and are within the Lowell National Historical Park.

Back Stage Assistant: Back Stage assistants will work with Stage Managers to ensure stage security. You may be required to work on a variety of tasks, including equipment needs, assisting performers, monitoring water and ice, and helping to maintain a clean and safe backstage work area. This position may require extensive amounts of walking or standing on uneven surfaces and standing near loud musical equipment for extended periods of time. Stages are outdoors and the working conditions may be in extreme heat or rain. The responsibilities of this position are only for the duration of the 2023 Lowell Folk Festival in the city of Lowell, MA and are within the Lowell National Historical Park. 

Music Logging: Music Loggers will record music during the festival. This position works with NCTA sound Technicians using NCTA and Lowell Folk Festival equipment that will be returned at the end of the assignment. A one-hour training session is required to operate the equipment. An equipment operator and a person to record the setup of music make up this team position. The position is outdoors with potential for weather conditions of extreme heat or rain, and you will be near loud musical equipment. The responsibilities of this position are only for the duration of the 2023 Lowell Folk Festival in the city of Lowell, MA and are within the Lowell National Historical Park.

Recycle: Recycling Volunteers will collect and sort the solid waste stream collected in the recycling containers located thought out the festival grounds.  The collected waste will be sent to a composting site and the resulting compost is sent to the city of Lowell and the Lowell National Historical Park for landscaping. Bottles and cans will also be collected for recycling. Lowell Folk Festival has a 95% waste diversion and is recognized as a national model for recycling at large scale special events. The position may require extensive amounts of standing or walking on uneven surfaces in potential weather conditions of extreme heat or rain. You will be outside. The responsibilities of this position are only for the duration of the 2023 Lowell Folk Festival in the city of Lowell, MA and are within the Lowell National Historical Park.

The Lowell Folk Festival came out of a festival tradition that started in 1973 with a series of community ethnic festivals completely organized by volunteers. Many of the folks who work year round on the event have been involved with festivals here for 30 years or more. Newer members often come through new generations of families that have been involved for decades. There is no question that the loyalty of this group keeps this event humming and it is critical to the on-going success the event has enjoyed. The festival continues to recruit volunteers from Lowell and the entire region.