About Cotton District Arts Festival 2015

The Starkville Area Arts Council needs many volunteers to help us host the 2015 Cotton District Arts Festival on Saturday, April 18th!

Volunteers are needed to greet, work the juried arts exhibit, information table, beverage wagons, collectors table, the gates, and litter patrol. The Festival attracts over 42K annually and is a great way to earn community service hours as well as give back to your community! Below we have provided a description of each area where volunteers are needed along with the times the volunteer opportunity is available that day. When signing up to volunteer, please indicate your activity area preference!


Artisan Village: Artisan Vendors and Food Vendors will be arriving to set up. Volunteers needed to direct traffic, help vendors find booth spaces. Speak with Artisan Village Coordinator if any vendor has to move to another space. Last item is to tie Vendor ID signs to Vendor tents. (Volunteer shifts are between 5:00 AM - 8:00 AM)

Logistics Start up:
Follow behind flat bed truck, unloading 6' folding tables, chairs & tents to sites along Festival route.
Attach Signs and banners to Stages and tents. Direct visitor & vendor traffic to designated parking areas.
Assist Wheelchair visitor traffic to handicap parking.
(Volunteer shifts for tasks 1-3 are between 5:00 AM - 8:00 AM)
Direct Wheelchair visitor traffic to handicap parking (West End)
(Volunteer shifts are between 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM)

Bully Silent Auction: Greet visitors, speak about artists (bio info will be on site), encourage bidding. (Volunteer shifts are between 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM)

*Children's Village: Volunteers are needed to assist Dr. Forbes' balloon animal station by inflating balloons and tying them off. (Volunteer shifts are between 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM)

Information Booth:
Volunteer Check in station: Volunteer needs to Log in name of each volunteer arriving, hand out volunteer badge. Log out each volunteer coming off a shift & obtain badge back. (Volunteer shifts are between 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM)

Merchandise Sales Booth, Volunteer needs to greet, sell, receive payment, make change. (Volunteer shifts are between 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM)

Beverage Wagons: Wagon #1 Volunteers need to greet, take cash & make change. Volunteer needs to stay at booth until relieved by next volunteer. Wagon #2 Volunteers need to greet, take cash & make change. (Volunteer shifts are between 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM)

Gates & Gate Merchandise Booths
East Gate (University Drive at Bridge) Greet Festival visitors, explain & hand off raffle tickets
West Gate (University Drive at Nash St) Greet Festival visitors, explain & hand off raffle tickets
South Gate West (Maxwell Street at Lumus St.) Greet Festival visitors, explain & hand off raffle tickets
South Gate East (Colonel Mudrow at Lumus st) Greet Festival visitors, explain & hand off raffle tickets
Merchandise Booth East Gate (University at Bridge) Merchandise Sales Booth, Volunteer needs to greet, sell, receive payment,
make change.
Merchandise Booth West Gate (University at Nash St) Merchandise Sales Booth, Volunteer needs to greet, sell, receive payment,
make change.
Merchandise Booth South Gate West (Maxwell Street at Lumus St.) Merchandise Sales Booth, Volunteer needs to greet, sell, receive payment, make change.
(Volunteer shifts are between 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM)

Environmental Service Team Volunteers will tie off trash bags in waste containers, carry bags to dumpster, pick up litter, tie off recycle waste and carry to recycling dumpsters.
(Volunteer shifts are between 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM)

Pet Parade Greet & log applicants, receive payment, make change. (Volunteer shifts are between 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM)

5K Run Monitor 5 K Course route to keep runners on course
(Volunteer shifts are between 7:00 AM - 9:30 PM)

Family Fun Run Monitor Family Fun Run route to keep families on course (Volunteer shifts are between 9:30 AM - 10:30 PM)

Logistics Take down: Remove Signs and banners to Stages and tents. Follow behind flat bed truck, loading 6' folding tables, chairs & tents from sites along Festival route.
(Volunteer shifts are between 5:00 AM - 7:00 PM)
When you sign up to volunteer, please indicate your preference of volunteer task as described above.

Volunteers are expected to work at least a 2 hour shift. In addition, greeters are required to go through a very short training session before the shift begins. Lastly, volunteers need to arrive about 15 minutes before their shift begins.

To volunteer or for more information, contact Erin Davies at [email protected] or (662) 324-3080.