The Mariposa Folk Festival is so beloved in Orillia, organizers have to turn prospective volunteers away.
That's because volunteers come for the music but stay for the community, returning year after year, said Pam Carter, event co-ordinator and president of the Mariposa Folk Foundation.
The three-day festival always runs the weekend after Canada Day. This year, it's July 5 to 7 in Tudhope Park.
"There are 780 volunteers this year and a wait list," said Carter.
The festival, too, has grown to the point of maxing out the large park property. For the past two years, the event has sold out. More than 30,000 people attended the festival last July, so a large number of volunteers is essential.
"We couldn't host the festival without that kind of volunteer commitment," said Carter. "Their contribution is priceless, truly."
Volunteers find a spot they like to put in their 12 hours in exchange for a free pass and they come back yearly for the festival vibe and camaraderie.
"Ninety-nine per cent of our team leads are returning volunteers. We have very few new volunteers because when registration opens, they get their name in and come back every year," Carter said.
Kathy Geden Cole has been volunteering at the event since 2002. Her roles have included escorting musicians from hotels to stages, building stages, co-ordinating the volunteer campground, co-ordinating the volunteers, serving on the board of directors, announcing artists on stages and decorating the artists' green room. Now she's back to the job she likes best: co-ordinating the artists' village.
While she loves music, it's the community of the festival that brings her back every year.
"I just love Mariposa. It's such a happy place to be. Everybody is so chill and happy and welcoming," Geden Cole said. "It's a very intimate thing for me because I know so many people and I know how hard the volunteers are working. It's only two-and-a-half days, plus set-up and tear-down, and there's no crankiness."
In 2018, when Geden Cole was mourning the death of a family member, the artistic director at the time, Mike Hill, told Gordon Lightfoot.
"Gordon came over to me and said, 'You look like you need a hug,' and he gave me the nicest hug. It was so sweet," she recalled.
Geden Cole was the one who brought Carter into the fold in 2007 and 2008. Geden Cole was the volunteer co-ordinator, and with festival attendance and the number of volunteers growing, she needed a co-ordinating partner.
Carter has been driving the show since 2009, steering it through COVID-19 and then back into the light now with sold-out festivals.
Lori Koughan is a newer volunteer, going into her second year, organizing the Green Team. Last year, it was all new to her.
"I had no idea about the job and what I was supposed to do, but Pam and everyone (were) so helpful and so supportive and got me through the first year," she said.
Last year, the Green Team reached its goal of 88 per cent of waste reduction through composting and recycling.
"This year, we are looking to reduce waste even more. I am focusing on better signage for each bin," Koughan said.
"It's a lot of work and a big-time commitment, but I get to listen to fabulous music all weekend long."
She described the festival vibe as "relaxed and peaceful, and everyone is so friendly, so it doesn't seem like work."
"It really is a cool experience."
