VOLUNTEERS

November 16–17, 2013

Support the Arts: Become a Volunteer at the Downtown
Festival & Art Show

Cater to your creative side and lend a hand in Gainesville’s art community by volunteering at the 32nd Annual Downtown Festival & Art Show. Gainesville is a hub of creativity in North Central Florida, and our community takes pride in its hardworking artistic element that thrives to make the city bright and culturally satisfying year round.  Now in its 32nd year, the Downtown Festival & Art Show is our city’s most anticipated event.  Ranked as one of the “Top 200 Events” in the nation since 1996, the Festival continues to grow each year.  Volunteers are a large part of what makes this event so successful.  Through the support of dedicated community members, the Festival is able to run smoothly and continues to be an event everyone will enjoy.  Volunteering at this event is a great way to get involved in the community while having fun at the same time. 

The City of Gainesville Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs is searching for people, organizations and businesses that would like to support our community by becoming volunteers for the Downtown Festival & Art Show. Four-hour shifts are available on Saturday, November 16 and Sunday, November 17 for volunteers of all ages. Volunteers can assist in the Information Booth, sell t-shirts and posters, booth sit for artists or help with the Children’s Imagination Station, a free, hands-on art activity area. As a token of our appreciation, volunteers will receive a commemorative t-shirt.

Volunteers will gain more than a t-shirt from their time at the festival. They will see downtown Gainesville as they have never seen it before. More than 100,000 visitors stroll through the streets to purchase one-of-a-kind artwork from about 250 of the nation’s top artists. Visitors can marvel at original oils and acrylics, vibrant watercolors, unique sculptures, dazzling jewelry, decorative ceramics and vivid photography. Volunteers and guests can also take time to start their holiday shopping.

For music lovers, the Downtown Festival & Art Show features three stages with continuous, live entertainment by local bands, solo musicians and dance companies.

With an entire area devoted solely to children, the Festival will be a delight for the whole family. Children can spend an entire day immersed in a world of art and creativity as they visit the Imagination Station, discovering their own artistic talents which feature a large selection of free hands-on activities including sidewalk-chalk drawing, painting, mask design, puppet and button creation and clay sculpting.

Near the steps of the Hippodrome State Theatre, the Community Information Area presents a venue for more than 50 local non-profit organizations to showcase their programs and services. Dozens of food vendors will offer a diverse selection of appetizing foods ranging from bloomin’ onions to authentic pad Thai cuisine at more than 24 food concession booths.

Lend a hand in Gainesville’s art community by volunteering at the Downtown Festival & Art Show. If you would like to join our amazing team of volunteers for the 2013 show, return the Volunteer Sign-Up Form, found as a link on this page, by Monday, October 14.  For more information you can also contact Linda Piper, Festival Coordinator, at 352-93-8536.

What is the Downtown Festival and Art Show?

• North Central Florida’s premier fall festival of the arts, one of the nation’s premier outdoor fine arts festivals, a nationally recognized event, ranked among the top festivals in the nation.

• 250 of the most talented artists from across the nation displaying and selling their unique work including paintings, ceramics, jewelry, photography, and more.

 
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Festival Location
200 East University Ave

City of Gainesville
Division of Cultural Affairs
302 NE 6th Avenue
(352)393-8536
(352)334-2249-Fax

Mailing address: Station 30
PO Box 490
Gainesville, FL 32627