A Salute to Mariposa’s Volunteers
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Mariposa Folk Festival is a volunteer-driven event. Without hundreds of people donating their time, there would be no festival.
We are proud of every one of our volunteers. They represent the organization with pride and provide services to the festival audience with enthusiasm, earning a well-deserved reputation for professionalism and civic contribution.
During the three days of the festival, our volunteers put in a minimum of 12 hours service, usually over three shifts. They are also invited to an Orientation and Training Session the evening before the festival starts (Thursday), to meet fellow volunteers on their team as well as their Crew Chief, and to learn what they need to know about the job they will be doing. This session is especially useful to new volunteers, but those that can’t make it the day before the festival, especially the many out-of-town volunteers, get on-the-job training. Volunteers receive free admission to the festival and a souvenir Mariposa Crew T-Shirt as well as a discount on festival camping.
This year, Mariposa is putting on a special ‘thank you’ concert on the Hootenanny Stage from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Thursday, July 4th, for volunteers attending the Volunteer Orientation and Training Session. This pre-festival concert will feature Jory Nash and Richard Knechtel.
Many of our volunteers come from Orillia and area, but a large proportion of them come from across Ontario, and as far away as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lorain, Ohio, and other locales.
Most of the volunteer positions at Mariposa Folk Festival 2013 are filled, but we are still on the look out for good people for our Access Crew. Shifts require walking and standing for long stretches in any weather, and good judgment and problem solving is required. These volunteers work on teams that monitor the festival gates and grounds, and must be 18 years of age or older.
On top of our army of Festival volunteers, Festival Organizing Group volunteers work year round to plan and coordinate the Festival.
All told, our volunteers are an impressive group of great people, and we think it shows in the fantastic festival they put on every year. When you’re at Mariposa Folk Festival 2013, please take a moment to thank some volunteers for their work and contributions.
Children’s entertainer, Dickie Bird, has an ample supply of up-beat music, a suitcase full of magic tricks, and amazing gizmos like his bubble machine. His performances are fast-paced fun with singalongs, action songs, magic tricks, the Everybody Joins In Jug Band, and many opportunities for audience participation. His puppet pal, Doug the Wug, also makes an appearance. Dickie Bird’s show has been described by critics as “Personable, enthusiastic, talented, appealing” and “The perfect combination of music, magic and fun!” Dickie Bird is also known as Richard Knechtel. You can see him perform in that incarnation at the festival as half of the duo, Knechtel & McLean.
Some musical acts get long in the tooth. Some are famous for their break-ups. Some are corporate automatons churning out the ‘hits’. Some are awkward pairings in duets conjured by record company executives. Others, like Knechtel and McLean, are the real deal. Richard Knechtel is a former festival artistic director and respected singer songwriter. Rob McLean is a music director and writer/producer. Two talented guys pondering their next move, they could have banded together to rob liquor stores. Instead, they chose the honest path of working musicians. Between them, these guys have thousands of hours of stage time, countless songs and two jokes. It all adds up to a truly wonderful audience experience.